Major influence of weather

Mountain rescue: 3469 missions, one month broke the record

Around a quarter of the people treated by mountain rescuers had an accident while hiking and a quarter while skiing.

(Bild: Österreichischer Bergrettungsdienst Land Tirol)

Tyrolean Mountain Rescue takes stock of the past year 2024. Due to the weather, August in particular, but not only, was very demanding for the emergency services.

Challenging months lie behind the Tyrolean Mountain Rescue Service. 3590 members in 91 local stations completed a total of 3469 missions last year. "The Tyrol control center alerted us to 2661 missions, plus 808 missions in the Tyrolean ski resorts," report those responsible. In total, there were 159 fewer call-outs than in 2023.

January, July and August stood out
As in previous years, how often the emergency services had to be called out in 2024 depended heavily on the weather: "In January, July and August, the mountain rescuers had to be called out more often than ever before in these months due to the beautiful weather," the report states.

One month in particular stood out: "In August 2024, the number of 602 missions exceeded 600 for the first time in the 75-year history of Mountain Rescue Tyrol."

If the number of missions continues to rise in the coming years, it will be a major challenge to continue to handle the missions on a voluntary basis.

Ekkehard Wimmer, Landesleiter der Bergrettung Tirol

Bild: Johanna Birbaumer

Most of the alerts led the rescuers to ski slopes (24%), open terrain or hiking trails (13% each), with the district of Kitzbühel recording the most missions at just under a quarter. 56% of the people treated came from Germany, followed by locals (22%).

Financing also via private individuals
Mountain rescue trainees complete a two-year training course at the local stations and at the Jamtal training center. Funding comes from the cost of missions, state subsidies and 20,000 private sponsors. Donations to the mountain rescue service have been tax-deductible since June.