Climbing drama

Slovenia: Austrian mountaineers killed in an accident

A helicopter from the Italian mountain rescue service (symbolic image)

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Gianluca Pili)

Two Carinthian mountaineers died on Wednesday after falling from the Cima di Riofreddo (Cold Water Gamsmutter) in the Julian Alps in Carinthia's neighboring Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The victims were two members of the Villach mountain rescue team, aged 30 and 39.

The bodies were recovered early Thursday morning by the regional rescue helicopter at an altitude of more than 2000 meters, according to the Friulian Alpine Rescue.

The mountain rescue teams had set out to search for the two climbers on Wednesday afternoon. It had previously been discovered that they had not returned as planned. Their relatives, who were waiting for their return, tried in vain to reach them by telephone. The Villachers' car was discovered in a parking lot. From there, the search for the two men began.

The Carinthians had set off with the intention of reaching the Cima di Riofreddo peak from Spigolo Comici, a route with an altitude difference of 800 meters that takes several hours. The search was interrupted overnight and continued on Thursday morning with a helicopter from the Alpine Rescue Service. From there, the bodies of the two alpinists were located.

Bodies recovered and brought down to the valley
The causes of the accident are still being investigated. It is still unclear whether the alpinists' fall was caused by a mistake by one of the two men or by a possible rockfall. At the time they were found, the two men from Villach were still tied to the rope and partially anchored in the wall. After the rescue, the bodies were taken to the Saisera valley. The relatives were informed.