Current too strong

Canyoning group rescued from gorge in Zillertal

The police helicopter was also requested to rescue the amateur athletes.(Bild: ZOOM Tirol)

Due to a high water level and a strong current, a group of seven holidaymakers had to be rescued from a canyoning tour in the Tyrolean Zillertal by the emergency services on Sunday afternoon. Three people were flown out by police helicopter, the other four were brought safely down to the valley by the mountain rescue team and the water rescue team.

At around 11.30 a.m., six Germans led by a fellow countryman, an experienced canyoning guide, began a tour through the so-called Schraubenfall-Tuxbach in Tux (Schwaz district) in still cloudless weather. "When the guide noticed in the first third of the tour that the abseiling points were more difficult to reach due to the masses of water, he decided to abort the tour for safety reasons," according to the police.

(Bild: zoom.tirol)

After the emergency call was made, the athletes were rescued in a joint operation by the Tux mountain rescue team, the water rescue team and the police helicopter. "All persons remained unharmed," emphasizes the executive. The operation was successfully completed after around two and a half hours.