More ski tourism

Increase in alpine accidents challenges mountain rescuers

Search dogs are also used for avalanche rescues.(Bild: Hannes Wallner)

After a "dip" due to the pandemic, Carinthian mountain rescuers had to be called out more often again in 2023. The reason is the return of ski tourism. Negative record for fatalities.

The Carinthian Mountain Rescue Service cares for accident victims in our mountains and forests from 18 local stations. Of the 1096 members - around ten percent of whom are women - 913 are currently active mountain rescuers. They also include the various specialists from the air rescue service and the 32 search dog teams.

300 missions on slopes
Last year, the mountain rescuers were called out a total of 604 times. "After a 'post-Covid dip' in 2021, the number of accidents is rising continuously," says the regional office. "The reason for this is the renewed increase in ski tourism." 300 of all interventions took place on the Carinthian ski slopes, in 2018 it was even 418. More than half were accidents while skiing or snowboarding.

618 rescued people from 25 nations
"When we are deployed, six mountain rescuers are on duty for around two hours on average, and dog teams were involved 24 times," explains the mountain rescue team. "The police are involved in every third operation, and the rescue team in every sixth." The mountain rescuers recorded 618 rescued and recovered people from 25 nations in 2023; contrary to common stereotypes, more than half of them were Austrians - around a fifth came from Germany. 463 accident victims were injured, 26 could only be recovered dead in 2023 - a sad record, as in 2018.

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Injured in the middle of a rock face, no strength to climb up or down to safety - a nightmare scenario for mountaineers. Helicopters are used so that mountain rescuers do not have to abseil down to the accident site during such missions. But this also harbors dangers. Because the moment before the rope of the climber, who is already hanging from the rescue winch, is cut, the helicopter is "tied" to the rock face.

Every move has to be perfect during the "capper rescue" on the rock face.(Bild: ARA)

The helicopter is briefly "tied" to the rock face.(Bild: ARA)

This is why this special "canopy rescue" is also practiced intensively. "We train this sophisticated procedure at least twice a year," explains Bertram Bacher, the lead flight rescuer of the ARA-3. But instead of a simulation with fire department cranes, the crew of the "ARA-3" rehearses this under real-life conditions on the Nassfeld.

The air rescuers, who are also trained mountain rescuers, have to rescue up to ten alpine athletes from the rock face every year. "This is certainly by far the most demanding rescue procedure with the rescue hoist," explains ARA flight operations manager Herbert Graf.