Stuck up to their hips

Swedes Without Shoes: Rescue Operation in the Snow

The two hikers became stuck in the snow in the rough terrain—approximately in the center of the image.(Bild: Alpinpolizei)

Two young hikers got stuck in snow up to their waists on Wednesday afternoon in Bad Hofgastein, Salzburg, while on their way to the Gamskarkogel. One of them had even lost his shoes. The two Swedes (aged 20 and 21) ultimately had to be airlifted to safety by helicopter.

Two young Swedes, aged 20 and 21, had set out on foot for the Gamskarkogel (2,467 meters) in Bad Hofgastein on Wednesday despite the mountain still being in the grip of winter conditions. The Swedes were on summer hiking trail No. 513 at around 2,000 meters above sea level when one of them made an emergency call. “They were stuck in snow up to their waists,” described Roman Brandstetter, head of operations for the Bad Hofgastein Mountain Rescue Service.

The two vacationers likely followed a GPS track blindly, the Bad Hofgastein mountain rescuer suspects. The trail markers above the Rastötzenalm (around 1,730 meters above sea level) were buried deep in snow—making the trail itself invisible.

The Salzburg Police helicopter came to the Swedes’ aid after an avalanche rescue operation.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

Helicopter on the scene quickly after avalanche rescue
The Swedish hikers were equipped only with trail running shoes. The young man, who lost his shoes in the snow, finally alerted emergency services via his cell phone around 3:30 p.m. However, he could not be reached afterward; presumably, his cell phone battery had died.

Fortunately, the police helicopter Libelle was still in the Gastein Valley due to an avalanche rescue operation in Sportgastein. The crew was able to carry out the rescue operation on the Gamskarkogel using a rope rescue. Six mountain rescue workers from the Bad Hofgastein station were on standby.

It wasn’t until Palm Sunday weekend in early April and during Holy Week that it snowed repeatedly in the mountains of the Gastein Valley. There is still a great deal of snow at elevations above 1,800 meters. Several avalanches have occurred near the site of the rescue.