Two Climbers Fall 15 Metres Into Crevasse on Hoher Dachstein

Two German climbers fell about 15 metres into a crevasse while descending the Hoher Dachstein in Austria on Saturday afternoon. Both suffered serious injuries and were eventually flown to hospital after a rescue operation lasting more than 10 hours.

The men, aged 32 and 39, were travelling as a roped team across a crevasse-filled section of the Hallstätter Glacier. One climber slipped on a slope with an incline of about 40 degrees and pulled his partner down with him.

The pair had chosen the route via the Randkluftsteig, which ended at the glacier crossing. They were about 10 metres apart when the fall occurred. Despite his injuries, one of the men managed to make an emergency call at about 6 p.m.

Mountain rescuers from Styria and alpine police from Upper Austria reached the site using the Dachstein Südwandbahn and a police helicopter. High winds, fog and falling darkness made a rescue by an emergency medical helicopter impossible.

Rescuers lowered themselves into the 15-metre-deep crevasse and began first aid while colleagues arranged a complex evacuation. The second seriously injured climber was not handed over to a night-flight-capable emergency helicopter at a suitable intermediate landing site until about 3 a.m. Sunday.