57-year-old climber falls into rope in Tyrol and is rescued by helicopter

Rescue from the rock face

The alerted mountain rescue service and the crew of the emergency doctor helicopter "RK 2" headed to the scene of the accident. The rescue teams retrieved the injured woman from the rock face and flew her to a hospital for further medical treatment. No information about the severity of the injuries or the current state of health of the woman was initially released.

The Urbeleskarspitze is one of the striking summit destinations in the municipality of Hinterhornbach and is popular with mountaineers because of its challenging climbing routes. The accident site is located in a remote area of the Allgäu Alps on the Tyrolean side, which made a rapid rescue from the air necessary.

The alpine police have launched investigations into the exact course of the accident. According to previous findings, it is a classic belaying accident in which a loose rock element triggered the fall. According to police, there is no indication of third-party fault or a technical malfunction of the equipment.

Investigations and background

According to the authorities, the German climber was on the wall together with rope partners. They immediately placed the emergency call when the woman fell into the rope and was no longer able to continue climbing on her own. According to police, the rescue chain of mountain rescue, police and air rescue worked smoothly.

In the region, there have repeatedly been alpine accidents in the past, some with serious consequences. The combination of rocky terrain, changing weather conditions and sometimes unstable footholds and handholds makes tours like the one on the Urbeleskarspitze challenging even for experienced mountaineers.

Safety tips from the alpine police

The police advise climbers to carefully examine the rock before challenging routes and never to put weight on footholds without checking them first. According to the alpine police, complete and regularly checked equipment as well as functioning rope and belaying techniques are also indispensable.

At the time of the accident, weather conditions were stable according to police. The helicopter "RK 2" was able to pick up the injured woman from the wall using the winch procedure, in which the rescue is carried out directly from the rock face. The name of the climber was not released by the police.