Proposal from Tyrol

Mountain rescue: special billing for negligence?

Innsbruck mountain rescuers brought an American family safely down to the valley from the Innsbruck via ferrata.(Bild: Bergrettung Innsbruck)

Recklessness is celebrating its wedding on Tyrol's mountains and mountain rescuers have reached their limits. Tyrol's head of mountain rescue, Ekke Wimmer, can imagine a special bill for missions caused by gross negligence. Awareness-raising is also intended to counteract this.

On Sunday, a US family had to be rescued from a via ferrata in Innsbruck. On Tuesday night, the Scharnitz mountain rescuers were called out on an eight-hour mission because a German duo had lost their way on the ascent to the Breitgrieskarscharte.

No time buffer planned
"The problem is usually inadequate tour planning," says Christph Waltl, head of the Scharnitz mountain rescue team. "Many also don't allow for a time buffer when planning the walking time," he criticizes. "If the walking time is then extended for whatever reason, an emergency can arise."

Many people are out and about with huge and heavy rucksacks, but don't have the essentials such as a rescue blanket or a first aid kit with them.

Christoph Waltl, Ortsstellenleiter Bergrettung Scharnitz

Important items missing from the rucksack
The volunteer mountain rescuers from Scharnitz have already had 36 alerts since the end of June this year. Waltl noticed that the alpinists have little sense of what belongs in their rucksacks and what does not. "Many are out and about with huge and heavy rucksacks, but don't have the essentials such as a rescue blanket or a first aid kit with them," he criticizes.

The duo in the Karwendel also lugged enormous rucksacks to the top. However, there didn't seem to be any warming utensils in them, as the two were freezing to death by the time the rescuers arrived.

Eight hours of night work, then off to work
The mission was only over at 6 a.m. after eight (!) hours, and a little later the eight mountain rescuers had to go back to work - without having had a single minute's sleep!

Local units reached their limits
Ekkehard Wimmer, the new regional head of the Tyrolean Mountain Rescue Service, knows that "some local units have reached their limits." Overconfidence and a lack of tour planning would contribute to this.

It would be conceivable to issue a special invoice for mountain rescue operations that were necessary due to gross negligence.

Ekke Wimmer, Landesleiter Bergrettung Tirol

Special billing is being considered
The mountain rescue service now wants to counteract this. "It would be conceivable to issue a special invoice for mountain rescue operations that were necessary due to gross negligence," says Ekke Wimmer.

Against a fully comprehensive mentality
"But we are also focusing on raising awareness," he announces. The aim is to make the topics of tour planning, training and mountain cost insurance as accessible as possible to those who go up the mountains with the "fully comprehensive insurance mentality".

Round table in the fall
And in the fall, a round table is planned with safety councillor Mair. Participants will include the mountain rescue service and the Alpine police. They will discuss how to deal in future with those who get into mountain distress through gross negligence.