A Silver Lining

Woman (57) Falls Ten Meters: “I’m So Grateful”

Sabine Prunner (57) from Bad Hall fell about ten meters. Now she wants to thank the first responders on the scene, the rescuers, and the doctors and nurses at the hospital.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg)

After an accident on a mountain in Salzburg, Sabine Prunner (57) from Bad Hall (Upper Austria) experienced not only great luck but also tremendous kindness. In the “Krone,” she now wants to thank her unknown rescuers—and hopes they’ll come forward.

It was supposed to be a beautiful day in the mountains. Together with a hiking buddy, Sabine Prunner (57) from Bad Hall climbed first the Schober and then the Frauenkopf in Salzburg on July 4—and suddenly everything changed: Prunner stumbled on some steps during the descent, rolled over three times, and fell about ten meters. “I was briefly unconscious and can’t remember exactly what happened,” she says. She continues: “I remember stumbling, but after that, a lot of it’s a blur.”

A woman had a rescue blanket with her; she gave it to Prunner and then looked after her for nearly an hour.(Bild: zVg)

Everything was still fine at that point—before the fall, Sabine Prunner had been having a wonderful day.(Bild: zVg)

Prunner at the Salzburg University Hospital after the accident—she received excellent care there as well.(Bild: zVg)

Rescuers airlifted the injured woman off the mountain in a rescue helicopter.(Bild: zVg)

Held a cloth over her head for an hour
What remains is something else: the memory of how many people, in that moment, didn’t look away but looked right at her. A Czech couple reached the 57-year-old first and immediately administered first aid. “Little by little, more and more people joined us,” she says gratefully. One woman had a rescue blanket with her and unwrapped it immediately; three other women held a cloth over her head for nearly an hour to protect her from the sun. “They kept doing that until the helicopter arrived,” Prunner says in a soft voice, adding, “I just want to say thank you for the fact that they all stayed.” Talking with her, you can sense how deeply the situation affects her. She repeatedly emphasizes that none of this was a given.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Markus Wenzel, stock.adobe.com)

Protecting her face with her hand
When the rescue helicopter arrived at the scene of the accident, the rescue operation began. “The rescue team wrapped me up and secured me to a rope. Then we flew down. But I can’t really remember much of that either,” Prunner continues. One moment, however, stuck with her: “The doctor covered my eyes during the flight so that no rocks would hit my face.”

A small gesture—and yet a big one. At the UKH Salzburg, the helpfulness continued—thankfully, Prunner suffered “only” bruises and a concussion. “I was given something to eat right after the exams, even though it was already 3:00 p.m.—that’s not something you can take for granted.” Everyone at the hospital was also extremely friendly to her. In closing, she says: “Unfortunately, I don’t know who those people on the mountain were, but I’d be happy if they got in touch so I can thank them personally.”

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That’s exactly what we need more of: more people who don’t look away, but stick around. That’s what makes our society what it is.