Injured and dead

Carinthian mountain rescuers called out hundreds of times

The Austrian Road Safety Board recorded 220 accidents in Carinthia in winter. Over 1000 mountain rescuers on duty.

Whether on the slopes, off-piste or in the forest - when something happens, the Carinthian Mountain Rescue Service is on duty. In Carinthia, over 1000 mountain rescuers work on a voluntary basis all year round. They are also supported in their work by the avalanche and search dog teams. According to the Austrian Road Safety Board (KFV), they were called out to 220 accidents this winter alone. The mountain rescuers treated 242 injured people, and ten fatalities could only be recovered.

The Austrian mountain rescuers have now met for a symposium, which focused more on preventing accidents. "The continuous expansion of preventative measures is extremely important to prevent emergencies from happening in the first place and to relieve the burden on aid organizations," emphasizes Franz Ruf, Director General for Public Safety. Across Austria, mountain rescuers had to be called out almost 10,000 times in 2023.

The number of unreported injuries is likely to be significantly higher. "We know from surveys that around 47,000 people are injured so seriously every year while doing sports in the mountains that they have to be treated in an ambulance or hospital," explains Johanna Trauner-Karner, responsible for recreational safety at KFV.