Rescue in Forstau

Two German skiers lost their way in a ditch

The mountain rescue team was deployed to Forstau.(Bild: Bergrettung Forstau)

Mountain rescuers from Forstau and Radstadt rescued two skiers who had lost their way in a ditch in Forstau (Salzburg) on Wednesday evening. The man and the woman were brought down to the valley uninjured but somewhat hypothermic. 

"We were informed by the police at 5 pm that two skiers in Forstau had lost their way in a ditch on the descent from the Fageralm in open terrain," says Hannes Hutter, the local station manager in Radstadt.

The rescuers struggled through waist-high snow.(Bild: Bergrettung Forstau)

"Gorge with rock faces"
At first, there was no exact location and no telephone connection to the missing persons. However, the police helicopter team was able to spot them using a thermal imaging camera and pinpoint their exact location. Hutter: "Thank goodness they didn't go any further off-road, because there is a ravine with rock faces below their location."

Using a quad bike and skidoo, the mountain rescuers were able to reach the young man and woman relatively quickly. They were rescued from the waist-deep snow uninjured but somewhat hypothermic. The three-hour operation involved six mountain rescuers, Alpine police and the Libelle helicopter team.