Avalanche: Salzburg dead, companion seriously injured
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At the Steintalhörndl not far from Hochkalter and Watzmann, a 61-year-old ski mountaineer from the city of Salzburg died in a simple avalanche on Saturday. His 41-year-old touring companion from Seekirchen (Flachgau) was rescued by emergency services after heavy attacks. The slab of snow is enormous.
According to the police, the Salzburg duo was at around 12.30 p.m. in the upper part of the Sittersbachtal on the 2,468 meter high Steintalhörndl. One or both kicked off a huge slab of snow about 150 meters below the summit in very steep terrain. On Saturday, the warning level in the region was three, i.e. a significant avalanche danger.
400 meters wide, almost 900 long
Both men were caught in the snow masses and washed down. According to mountain rescuers, the avalanche has a width of about 400 meters and a slide length of about 870 meters. The end of the avalanche cone is 320 meters lower than the edge of the avalanche.
First responders could do nothing more
An uninvolved witness, who was also traveling in the Hochkar, was able to locate the 61-year-old buried person before the forces arrived, but probably only determined the death of the serious events.
Flown to the hospital in Salzburg
A little later, the second Salzburger was dug up and given first aid by the mountain rescuers, alpine and air traffic police officers. The crew of the Bavarian police helicopter beat the alpinist to the Salzburg state hospital. Bavarian alpine police officers from Freilassing determine the circumstances of this accident.
Ten days ago, not far from the scene of the accident on Saturday, a ski mountaineer stared on the Hocheisspitze directly opposite – albeit on its west side.