Seriously injured had to spend the night on the mountain

The 60-year-old German had an accident on Friday evening on the way from the Wasseralm in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, to Maria Alm. He may have previously climbed with his 49-year-old companion in the Buchauer Scharte area. On a steep field of old snow at about 2000 meters above sea level, the man lost his footing and slipped. The climber fell in front of his companion and only came to rest after about 100 meters.

The 60-year-old suffered serious injuries. “He fell on a hard snow field over craggy rocks,” said Bernd Tritscher, Pinzgau district manager and mountain rescuer from Saalfelden. The head of operations was flown to the Braggstein with his colleagues and an alpine policeman as darkness fell, from where the helpers walked to the accident site below the 2655 meter high Selbhorn.

Emergency bivouac at 2000 meters

While the uninjured companion could be brought down to the valley by police helicopter, it was no longer possible to rescue the seriously injured man due to the weather. The mountain rescuers – including an emergency doctor – cared for the patient in the dark at 2000 meters above sea level and set up an emergency bivouac. Another six helpers were alerted and brought oxygen and supplies to the scene of the accident.

It was only after several attempts early on Friday morning that the injured man was rescued under difficult conditions using the Libelle police helicopter. The man was taken to the Tauern Clinic in Zell am See, the Salzburg police said.