Curious rescue

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The mountain rescuers had their hands full getting the German back on the trail.(Bild: BR Defereggental)

The mountain rescuers in St. Jakob im Defereggental (district of Lienz) had to go on an unusual mission on Saturday. An intoxicated tobogganer (21) had fallen under the path. He was unable to make it back on his own.

The Defereggen Valley Mountain Rescue Team had a special kind of operation on Saturday evening. At around 10.30 p.m., a 21-year-old German had gone down a toboggan run from the Alpe Stalle snack station.

Because he couldn't get back up, he wanted to go further down.

Siegfried Kristler, Ortsstellenleiter der Bergrettung Defereggental

Fell off the toboggan and crashed
Shortly after the snack station, he fell off the toboggan and crashed around ten meters below the path. "Because he couldn't get back up, he wanted to go further down. It got steeper and steeper there and then he couldn't get any further," explains Siegfried Kristler, head of the Defereggen Valley mountain rescue team.

The man returned to the valley uninjured but slightly chilled.(Bild: BR Defereggental)

Fortunately, he did not sustain any injuries. Nevertheless, he needed help to get back on the trail. The reason: he was no longer able to climb back up the path under his own steam due to his heavy intoxication. "Due to his alcoholization, he also had no chance of getting to the top. Two other people were further up and tried to help him, but they couldn't," says Kristler.

Four mountain rescue teams were deployed and rescued the man with a rope. He was part of a German tour group who also went down into the valley after their stay at the snack station.