Rescuers winch stranded family from Ennskraxn mountain

Mountain rescuers in Kleinarl rescued a three-person family from Vienna after the group became stranded during a descent of the Ennskraxn mountain in the Pongau district, ORF reported. The two women and one man were unable to continue through pathless terrain at an altitude of 1,930 metres on Sunday evening.

The family had set out in the afternoon for the demanding climb to the 2,410-metre summit but turned back after finding the route too difficult. They became stuck in terrain exposed to falls and falling rocks along a gully. The three were wearing shorts and light hiking shoes. They were uninjured but exhausted, soaked and suffering from the cold.

The rescue was made more difficult by darkness, rain, fog and wind. The GPS coordinates given during the emergency call did not match the family’s actual location, said Alois Langegger, the operation leader of the Kleinarl mountain rescue service.

Twenty mountain rescuers joined the search, supported by a police helicopter equipped with infrared and thermal-imaging cameras. Phone contact with the family was established several times but repeatedly broke off. The group eventually sent photos of its location, enabling rescuers to identify where they were.

The family was then winched out by the crew of the C14 emergency medical helicopter from Styria, which is equipped for night flights, and taken to the valley.

It was the second operation carried out by the Kleinarl mountain rescue service that day. Earlier, rescuers had recovered an exhausted but uninjured person from the Tappenkarsee trail. The service has completed 15 operations this year, significantly more than during the comparable periods of previous years.