A 26-year-old German woman, her 24-year-old companion and a 33-year-old woman from Upper Austria were rescued by helicopter. The Austrian’s companion, a 55-year-old man and a dog, were taken by mountain rescuers on foot to the summit and from there to the valley, police reported.
The two Germans set off from St. Wolfgang with their dog for a hike on the Schafberg and decided to climb up the north side via the Himmelspforte. According to the alpine police, the women were not properly equipped for this. The current snow situation, especially on northern slopes, requires good footwear and crampons for the hard, icy snow. The two were only on the move with light hiking boots, without crampons or pickaxes. At around 5 p.m., the 26-year-old made an emergency call because she suddenly had health problems. She was flown to the state hospital in Vöcklabruck by rescue helicopter.
At that point, two hikers from Upper Austria, a 33-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man, who were also not well equipped, caught up with the 24-year-old German. A short time later, around 50 meters below the summit, the three were no longer able to climb or descend due to the steepness of the terrain and the icy ground and called the rescue services. The two women were flown unharmed into the valley by helicopter and rope rescue, the 55-year-old stayed behind with the dog on the steep terrain and was brought down unharmed by the mountain rescue team.
Source: Nachrichten
