Mission in the Kesselfall

Crashed 30 meters in Kesselfall: seriously injured

Difficult rescue of the seriously injured hiker in the Kesselfall gorge

(Bild: Bergrettung Steiermark)

A hike in the Kesselfall gorge near Graz ended with serious injuries. A 43-year-old from the district of Graz-Umgebung fell on Sunday afternoon in glorious excursion weather and slid dozens of meters. There was also a hiking accident in Upper Styria on Sunday.

The accident in the gorge, which is currently closed due to strong winds, occurred at around 1 p.m. near the so-called stone gate in Semriach. For unknown reasons, the local man stumbled in the steep terrain and fell around 40 meters over a rock face into the gorge. He suffered several broken bones - including in both arms - and other serious injuries.

Fallen trees make access difficult
His companion contacted the European emergency number 112, which, like the Alpine emergency number 140, makes it possible to raise the alarm in trenches and gorges even when reception is poor. The Graz-Land Mountain Rescue Service was therefore called out. The approach to the casualty alone proved difficult due to the numerous fallen trees that had moved or destroyed bridges. Finally, the man was located in the streambed of the gorge and first aid was administered.

After stabilization by the mountain rescue team, the emergency doctor then treated the injured man with medication. He was then rescued by the Christophorus 12 helicopter using a rope and flown to Graz Regional Hospital. In the meantime, the 43-year-old's shocked companion was led out of the gorge and looked after by the mountain rescue team.

Lower leg broken on descent from hut
The second hiking accident of the day occurred in the evening, again involving a 43-year-old from the Graz-Umgebung district. During the descent from the Rottenmanner Hütte in the Rottenmann district of St. Georgen, the hiker fell shortly before 6 p.m. and suffered a fracture to his left lower leg. He was taken to Rottenmann Regional Hospital.