One fatality

Austrians fall 300 meters while ice climbing

Two ice climbers from Austria were caught in an avalanche in the Ortler region of South Tyrol near Sulden on Saturday. They fell over a 300 meter high rock face. One of the men succumbed to his serious injuries, his colleague is out of danger. 

The two had climbed to the Vertainspitze and were around 100 meters below the summit, reported the online medium "stol.it". One of the two men was able to call the emergency services after briefly losing consciousness. The men were taken to Bolzano hospital in a critical condition.

No cell phone reception, man pulled downhill
The seriously injured man, who awoke from unconsciousness after the fall, initially had no reception on his cell phone. He then had to drag his still unconscious companion a short distance down the valley before he could alert the emergency services.

The unconscious man with a low body temperature had to be resuscitated by the rescuers who arrived by emergency helicopter. His colleague was also severely hypothermic. In the end, two helicopters and the Sulden mountain rescue team were deployed. For one of the athletes - apparently a Tyrolean - there was no rescue - he succumbed to his injuries. His compatriot is now out of danger.