Police Trainee Falls at Stuibenfall: Search Underway in Tyrol

Rescue teams involved

According to authorities, the Umhausen water rescue and mountain rescue services, as well as the Umhausen Volunteer Fire Department, are deployed. In addition, water rescuers from the Innsbruck and Landeck local stations have been called in.

Two helicopters are supporting the search from the air, including a police helicopter. The various emergency organizations are thus working in coordination on the ground, in the air, and along the watercourse.

Search extended to the Ötztaler Ache

Initially, the operation focused on the waterfall area. The search has now been extended to the Ötztaler Ache, as the woman may have been swept away by the masses of water.

The difficult conditions and the strong current are hampering the operation. According to the rescue teams, the water in the area of the Stuibenfall and in the downstream Ötztaler Ache is carrying significant volumes, making the search risky for divers and rescue personnel.

Investigation by the Salzburg Alpine Police

The Alpine Police of the Salzburg State Police Directorate has been commissioned to investigate the exact circumstances of the accident. The Alpine Police of the Salzburg State Police Directorate has taken over the investigation into the cause of the accident. The aim is to reconstruct the circumstances of the fall at the rope bridge.

It is still unclear how the fall could have occurred. There are also no confirmed findings so far regarding whether external factors such as wet conditions, rockfall, or a technical problem with the rope bridge played a role.

Background: Police Alpine Training

The alpine training, during which the police trainee was traveling, is a standard part of police training in Austria. Prospective police officers are prepared for operations in alpine terrain, such as search and rescue tasks in difficult-to-access terrain.

The Stuibenfall near Umhausen is one of the highest waterfalls in Tyrol and a well-known tourist attraction in the Ötztal. The via ferrata of the same name leads along several stations next to the waterfall and includes, among other features, a rope bridge over the roaring water.

Reactions and further information

The weather conditions on the day of the accident and the water levels of the Ötztaler Ache are the subject of the ongoing investigation. The operations command was in close contact with the Alpine Police in the afternoon to coordinate the further course of action.

Local residents and tourists were asked not to enter the area around the Stuibenfall and the adjacent paths so as not to impede the search operations. The police set up a staging area for the rescue teams nearby.

The authorities announced that further information on the status of the search operation and the condition of the missing woman would be released during the evening. Until then, the operation would continue at full intensity, it was stated.

The incident triggered concern in the Ötztal valley and within the police community. According to the Tyrol State Police Directorate, colleagues of the missing woman received psychological support while the search operations at the waterfall and along the Ötztaler Ache continued unchanged.