Dornbirn woman honoured for helping locate stranded climber

A woman in Dornbirn has received an award for helping rescuers find a 42-year-old man clinging to a cliff on the Breitenberg. ORF Vorarlberg reported that Gülsen Nergiz Saskin-Sisman and her cousin heard his calls for help from their veranda in April 2025.

At first, the women heard someone calling “hello”. When the calls became more desperate, Saskin-Sisman called emergency services and described where they seemed to be coming from. Her husband used a construction floodlight, sweeping it across the landscape. The man shouted whenever the light pointed towards the cliff, helping them identify the direction of the quarry on the Breitenberg.

A drone operated by the Dornbirn fire brigade found the man clinging to the rock face. He was wearing only trousers and a woolly hat. Because rescuers on the ground could not reach him quickly and he was at risk of falling, a helicopter was called in. The Swiss Air-Rescue service REGA assisted, and the man was lifted to safety by winch.

He was severely hypothermic and suffering from serious muscle cramps. After receiving first aid, he was taken to Dornbirn Hospital. Police inquiries shed little light on why he had climbed the mountain; he said he had simply wanted to try mountaineering.

Saskin-Sisman received the DECUS award at a ceremony on October 12, 2026. The award recognises people who take action to help others in dangerous situations. Its judging panel praised her prompt, courageous and coordinated response. The annual initiative honours 15 cases and is run by ORF Vorarlberg, the Vorarlberg Red Cross and the region’s Raiffeisen banks, together with emergency services and other organisations.