Drama in Waidring

Man (73) fatally injured during a hike in Tyrol

The police helicopter recovered the body.

(Bild: ZOOM Tirol)

Drama in Waidring in the Tyrolean district of Kitzbühel! A Chinese vacationer (73) may have lost his way during a hike. As a result, he got lost in the rugged terrain. The man's body was found during a search on Saturday.

According to the police, the 73-year-old set off on Friday with his wife and three friends on a hike in the area known as the "Ovens". While the wife turned back with the friends before arriving at a targeted inn due to knee pain, the 73-year-old continued the hike. "For the way back in the afternoon, however, he no longer chose a paved road as on the way there, but a forest path that led into rough terrain," said the investigators.

Large-scale search operation
After the man did not return in the evening, a search operation was launched. Four police patrols, a service dog patrol, a police helicopter as well as the Waidring mountain rescue team and five mountain rescue search dogs were involved. The search had to be called off during the night.

The man was probably unfamiliar with the area and lost his way in the dark.

Ein Sprecher der Polizei

Rescued by helicopter
A new search took place on Saturday. The St. Johann and Ortisei mountain rescue teams also assisted. In the end, the vacationer was found dead at around 8.40 am. He was rescued by the police helicopter.

All help came too late for the vacationer.

(Bild: ZOOM Tirol)

Investigations at the scene of the accident revealed that the accident victim fell for unknown reasons on an approximately 45-degree slope and subsequently fell into a 40-degree gully, sustaining fatal injuries. "The relatives were looked after by a Red Cross crisis intervention team," emphasizes the executive. According to a spokesperson, "he was probably unfamiliar with the area and lost his way in the dark".