In the Wilder Kaiser

Spectacular night operation: trio flown out of the wall

The RK-2 team rescued the three Germans during the night from the steepest terrain.

(Bild: ARA-Flugrettung)

Despite large amounts of snow, three German climbers wanted to reach the Elmauer Halt (2344 m) via the Kopftörlgrat ridge in Tyrol on Sunday. They made much too slow progress due to the snow and were stuck in an emergency descent in the evening. The RK-2 emergency helicopter rescued them from their predicament in a spectacular night operation.

"Even in summer, finding your way along this classic climbing route in the Wilder Kaiser is difficult," says Christian Treichl, head of the Scheffau/Söllandl mountain rescue team. Only absolute connoisseurs of the route can manage in snow conditions like the current one. 

We advised them not to continue and offered to rescue them in daylight with a helicopter - but they refused.

Christian Treichl

First alarm at 7 pm
The trio was obviously not one of them. Because at around 7 pm, the alpinists called the Tyrol control center for the first time. They only needed directions for the emergency descent, they said. "We advised them not to continue and offered to rescue them by helicopter in daylight - but they refused," explains mountain rescuer Treichl.

The RK-2 emergency helicopter stationed in Reutte in the Außerfern region, which can carry out rescues at night using a cable winch, was currently approaching Hüttau following a request from Salzburg. "We had to rescue three mountaineers from difficult terrain there when the request from the Tyrol control center for the Wilder Kaiser arrived at around 9.20 pm," explains pilot Herbert Graf.

From Salzburg to the "Koasa"
After the successful rescue mission in Hüttschlag, the RK-2 flew towards the Wilder Kaiser. "We refueled at the C 4 base in Reith and then prepared the rescue operation for the three Germans on the Kopftörlgrat, who were in the steepest terrain," says Graf.

We use a high-performance spotlight for such night missions, and the pilot wears special goggles that amplify the residual light.

Herbert Graf, Pilot RK-2

"The trio was stuck in an intersection and in partly overhanging terrain," explains RK-2 flight rescuer Elmar Flatz. Once on site at an altitude of around 2000 meters, things had to move quickly. Flatz was winched down to the trio and pilot Graf hovered over them with the aircraft. Flatz: "We did a canopy rescue. As soon as one of the climbers was attached to me, I cut his safety line and the winch operator pulled us into the machine - three times in a row."

The Germans - recognizable by the light cones - were stuck in a dihedral.

(Bild: ARA-Flugrettung)

Icy night threatened
The spectacular rescue very close to the wall took no longer than around 20 minutes. The helicopter then flew the trio to Elmau, where the Scheffau/Söllandl mountain rescue team illuminated the landing site and waited for the climbers. "They appeared to be uninjured, but nervous," says Flatz. 

A terrestrial operation would not have been possible for safety reasons due to the snow conditions.

Christian Treichl, Ortsstellenleiter der Bergrettung Scheffau/Söllandl

If the RK-2 had not been able to fly, the Germans would have faced an icy night. "A terrestrial mission would not have been possible for safety reasons due to the snow conditions," emphasizes mountain rescue chief Treichl. 

Back to Reutte
The RK-2 crew finally arrived at the Reutte base at the other end of Tyrol after midnight - with two successful rescue missions for six alpinists in two federal states in their luggage.