Found lifeless

Brother walked on during thunderstorm – death by lightning

A 22-year-old hiker was struck dead by lightning on Sunday evening in Oberpinzgau. The Carinthian-born hiker, unlike his brother, was walking on the Salzburg side of the main Tauern ridge during a heavy thunderstorm. This proved to be his undoing.

According to a report by the Alpine Police, the young man was struck by lightning at around 2300 meters above sea level. The 22-year-old was with his brother on the Kalser Tauern on the way to the Rudolfshütte in the Stubach Valley.

As a violent thunderstorm approached, one brother sought shelter under a rocky outcrop, while the other, the 22-year-old, continued on his way.

Emergency doctor could no longer help
At the end of the storm, the family member found his brother lifeless and called an ambulance. The emergency doctor who arrived with a rescue helicopter team was unable to help. The dead man was rescued by the air police and brought down to the valley.