Night-time operation

Rax: Exhausted man rescued from via ferrata

The man was rescued from the Bismarcksteig - the cone of light is a mountain rescuer.(Bild: Bergrettung Mürzzuschlag)

Underestimated the route and then lost his way: On Thursday evening, a 50 to 60-year-old man from Lower Austria made an emergency call on the Bismarcksteig in the Rax region. It was a lucky coincidence that help arrived so quickly.

Four members of Mürzzuschlag Mountain Rescue happened to be at the Karl Ludwig House, just over half an hour away, at around 7.45 p.m., as head of operations Christoph Stritzl told the Krone. "We have a material depot there and were in the process of replacing our ropes." Together with the hut owner - a Tyrolean who also has mountain rescue experience - they set off after the emergency call.

The hiker had come to the Rax from the Lower Austrian side and had not intended to hike all the way to the Ludwig-Haus. However, other mountain hikers had recommended the tour to him at a hut and had only given the length as two and a half hours.

No climbing experience, no equipment
It turned out to be more than six hours. The Lower Austrian also lost his way. At the Bismarck via ferrata, which is very exposed and prone to falling rocks, he didn't know what to do next. The man had no climbing experience and his equipment was also inadequate. As night fell, it became uncomfortably cold.

"The man behaved in an exemplary manner and waited for us," says Stritzl. When the uninjured hiker was reached, the rescuers secured him and brought him to the Ludwig House. He was allowed to spend the night there and then set off on his journey home alone on Friday. If the mountain rescuers had only had to set off in the valley, the man would have had to wait at least another hour on the via ferrata.