Rescuers warn

“Dangers on winter tours often underestimated”

The rescue was extremely time-consuming. The seriously injured man was roped down in the stretcher to the nearest forest road.(Bild: Bergrettung Grünau)

A hiker was seriously injured on an excursion to the Maisenkögerl in Upper Austria. Mountain rescuers are now warning of the dangers of winter hikes, because unlike in the lowlands, most paths in the mountains are still covered in snow or icy.

It was supposed to be a beautiful excursion, but it ended dramatically: on Sunday afternoon, Bernhard G. (42) from the Kirchdorf district climbed with his partner and their son from Tießenbachtal to Bräumauer and on to Maisenkögerl.

Not far from the summit, at an altitude of 900 meters, the hiker stepped on a stone that became loose and broke off. He tried to find a foothold but was unable to do so, which is why he eventually fell around ten meters over steep, rocky terrain. He was rescued using a mountain stretcher and taken to hospital in Wels.

Paths often still icy
"Unfortunately, the dangers of winter tours are often underestimated," says Christoph Preimesberger, Regional Director of the Upper Austrian Mountain Rescue Service: "You cool down much faster. In the valley below, everything is green, but in the forest and up on the mountain, the paths are often icy. You often can't see the blown-over markings very well, and people often underestimate how quickly it gets dark again."