Mountain rescue team handles two emergencies in Bavaria’s foothills

The Rottach-Egern mountain rescue team responded to two emergencies in Bavaria’s foothills on Thursday, BR reported. A 23-year-old suffered a panic attack on a demanding section of the Tegernsee mountains, while a 57-year-old woman was later found unconscious at the Halserspitze.

The first emergency occurred at Schinderkar, where parts of the route include exposed climbing passages. The group from North Rhine-Westphalia called for help, prompting a rescue helicopter and two rescuers to set out on foot.

Mobile phone coverage in the area was highly unreliable. Although the group could initially be located, rescuers were later unable to establish proper contact. The distressed hiker then declined to be taken away, although the rescue team had already begun its operation.

The helicopter was stopped and redirected after a second alarm was received shortly after 3 p.m. A person was reported unconscious at the Halserspitze, a demanding viewpoint summit in the Blauberge on the Bavarian-Austrian border.

The 57-year-old woman from Munich received extensive treatment from the mountain rescue team and an emergency doctor. She was then pulled up to the helicopter in an air rescue bag and flown to a suitable hospital for further treatment.

Because dense fog had meanwhile developed, the rescuers who remained on the mountain descended part of the way with the woman’s partner. A helicopter then flew them out from there.

Several mountain rescue stations in Bavaria have reported sharply rising callout numbers this year, with some describing it as a record year for mountain accidents. The Oberstdorf mountain rescue team recorded 226 operations by August, more than 80 percent above the figure for the same period last year.

According to Mountain Rescue Bavaria, common reasons for callouts include hikers and climbers who are exhausted, lost or inadequately equipped, as well as emergencies linked to hot summer weather.