While overtaking

Plunged 200 meters to his death in front of a friend

The Drachenwand is one of the most frequented via ferratas in the whole of Upper Austria

(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

A trip to the Drachenwand via ferrata ended in tragedy for a 36-year-old man from Salzburg on Tuesday. He was hiking with a friend when the duo tried to overtake a slower group in front of them. This led to a serious mishap and the amateur sportsman fell 200 meters.

Shortly after 11 a.m. on Tuesday, mountain rescuers were alerted to a fall on the Drachenwand. Within a very short time, seven emergency calls were received. This shows how busy the via ferrata is and how many athletes had to witness the tragedy involving a man from Salzburg. The 36-year-old was on an excursion with a friend when he fell into the depths in the first third.

Unsuccessful overtaking maneuver
According to the police, the duo wanted to overtake a group ahead of them. To do so, the amateur athlete unhooked himself from the safety catch in a flatter section. He stumbled and tried to hold on to a stone, but it broke off. "The man fell around 200 meters and the emergency doctor could only determine that he had died," says Andreas Widlroither, head of operations at Mondseeland Mountain Rescue.

First fatal accident this year
The body was recovered by the police helicopter and the friend was looked after by the crisis intervention team. "It was the first fatal accident on the Drachenwand this year. It was the second on the via ferrata since it opened in 2008. Fatal accidents usually occur on the descent," says Widlroither.