Rescuers escort exhausted hiker to shelter after helicopter attempts fail

Mountain rescuers escorted an exhausted 22-year-old hiker and his two companions to a shelter near the summit of the Hochstaufen after snow and poor visibility thwarted helicopter rescue attempts, ORF reported.

The three young men from Hesse were hiking on Sunday afternoon along the snow-covered trail over the Steinernen Jäger towards the Hochstaufen summit. In steep terrain with a risk of falls, the 22-year-old became too exhausted and cold to continue. His companions called mountain rescue and stayed with him until help arrived.

Rescuers secured the three men with a rope and guided them uphill through the alpine terrain to the Reichenhaller Haus, a mountain shelter near the summit. Although the shelter was closed for the season, its keeper took in the hikers and their rescuers. They were able to spend the night there and were given food.

The operation came days after rescuers brought a 19-year-old German down from the Königsjodler via ferrata on the Hochkönig. He had been left behind by his companions.