A Czech tourist died in the Austrian mountains

Police believe the tourist died due to an accident. The website of the newspaper Kurier reported that the man climbed to the top of the Ötscher with two other people on Friday, but lost contact with them during the descent.

The mountain service received the message at around 18:00 CET. In addition to dozens of rescuers, several police officers and dogs, helicopters and police drones were also involved in the search. The search was suspended around midnight and resumed in the early hours of Saturday, the website says.

A pair of Czech tourists got off the tourist trail in the early evening on Friday and got stuck on the top of Velká Svišťovka at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters. “They were exposed to strong winds with snow and were unable to continue on their own,” the HZS website said.

Eight mountain rescuers set out to help them from Starý Smokovce. “The entire rescue operation was complicated by a strong wind, due to which the rescuers had to proceed by land and it was not possible to use the cable car in Tatranská Lomnica,” the mountain rescuers stated on their website.

After locating the Czech tourists and reaching their location, the mountain rescuers warmed them up and provided them with hot drinks. “After that, the pair, accompanied by rescuers, were evacuated to Tatranská Lomnica, from where they continued on their own at their own request. The rescue operation was completed before midnight,” added the website of the Mountain Rescue Service.

Mountain rescuers have warned visitors to the mountains that winter conditions are already prevailing here, with a continuous layer of new snow on hiking trails, reaching 30 to 50 centimeters in places. “With the arrival of the winter season, the days get shorter, and therefore it is necessary to adapt any activity in the mountains to daylight and to equip yourself with light sources,” pointed out the mountain rescuers.