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Early Winter Blast in Bavarian Alps Triggers String of Complex Mountain Rescues

Helicopters were often grounded by wind and whiteout, pushing volunteer teams into time-consuming foot recoveries across several peaks.

Overview

  • Rescuers in Berchtesgadener Land located a 40-year-old Berliner on the Reinersberg after a night in snow and cold, using precise phone triangulation before winching him out during a brief weather window and transporting him to Klinikum Traunstein.
  • Strong gusts, snowfall and poor visibility repeatedly blocked landings, forcing ground teams to advance from the Königstalalm and prompting support attempts by an Austrian police helicopter that could not locate the patient in the conditions.
  • At the Benediktenwand, a hiker who fell while descending from the Tutzinger Hütte suffered a head injury; her condition worsened on scene, and the Christoph Murnau helicopter flew her to a clinic after initial stabilization.
  • On the Zugspitze and at the Hochalmbahn, multiple tourists who missed last rides were recovered on foot in snow, fog and darkness, including a climber with leg pain in the Höllental via ferrata whom rescuers escorted to the summit station.
  • Near the Dürnbachwand below the Brecherspitz, four hikers stranded in steep terrain were hoisted out by helicopter after one woman slipped and was injured, with local rescuers citing navigation errors and misplaced reliance on online route descriptions.