A young  Watzmann mountain climber dies after falling from a peak

Admin I Monday, August 12, 2024

 

BAVARIA  – A young man having fun while hiking in the Berchtesgaden Alps in the southern German state of Bavaria near the Austrian border has fallen to his death.

According to the police, the 23-year-old from the Bavarian city of Erlangen was reported missing by a friend on Saturday evening.

The following day, the missing climber’s body was found and transported to the valley by a police helicopter. The man had sustained severe fall injuries, a police spokesman said on Sunday.

He is thought to have fallen in the area of the middle of the three peaks of the Watzmann mountain, on the western side.

Friends separate due to weather conditions

According to the police, the two friends intended to traverse the Watzmann together  but due to poor weather conditions, the 23-year-old’s companion wanted to abandon the tour but finally separated after a break at the summit.

Subsequently, according to his companion, the 23-year-old continued climbing from one of the peaks, known as the Hocheck, towards the middle peak, the Mittelspitze, with a previously unknown group of mountaineers.

The young man did not contact his friend again and was no longer reachable, which is why he reported him missing on Saturday evening.

The search for the man by the border police in the small mountain resort of Piding had begun, while the Ramsau mountain rescue team, using helicopter for the search was initially suspended due to approaching darkness and adverse wind conditions.

On Sunday, the rescue team found the 23-year-old’s body. The police are seeking information from witnesses.