Accident in Tyrol

Because ice broke: mountain rescuers injured during training

Training in dealing with extreme situations is part of the job for prospective mountain rescuers. However, an incident occurred during one such exercise in Galtür in Tyrol on Wednesday. One participant (31) was seriously injured. 

As part of a training course, a rope rescue exercise was carried out at an artificial ice climbing tower at around 2.30 pm on Wednesday. At the foot of the ice tower, two belay points had been constructed in the form of so-called ice clocks with belay points in the ice.

Pulley came loose and hit 31-year-old man
While the rescuers were pulling up a person in a stretcher, the ice broke away in the area of one of the belay points. This caused the pulley to come loose and hit a trainee mountain rescuer. The 31-year-old Austrian was seriously injured in the face.

The comrades and the instructor administered first aid. The injured man was then flown to hospital in Zams by the emergency helicopter.