Hiker and paraglider injured in separate Vorarlberg accidents

A 77-year-old German holidaymaker was seriously injured in a hiking accident in Frastanz on Saturday and was airlifted to Feldkirch State Hospital, ORF reported. The man fell around 200 metres down steep terrain below the Feldkircher Hütte mountain hut.

The accident happened during a family hike in Amerlügen, a district of Frastanz. The cause of the fall was not immediately clear. A relative provided first aid before rescuers arrived, and the emergency doctor from the C8 rescue helicopter treated the man at the scene. He was then recovered using a rescue line and flown to hospital.

The operation involved the C8 helicopter, 14 members of the Frastanz mountain rescue service and police.

In a separate accident in Bezau, a paraglider pilot suffered an open ankle fracture while preparing to launch from the summit plateau of the Bezau Köpfle. Shortly after he began his takeoff run across an open meadow, his right foot stepped into uneven ground and he twisted his ankle.

The pilot was pulled backwards by the paraglider, which had not yet taken off, and landed on the somewhat steeper terrain. After receiving first aid at the scene, he was flown by the C8 emergency helicopter to Dornbirn Hospital.