Fatal alpine accident on Sunday afternoon in East Tyrol: While climbing on the Großer Hexenkopf in the municipality of Prägraten, an intermediate belay broke out of the rock and a 20-year-old German fell around ten meters into the rope. The young man suffered serious injuries.
The 20-year-old was traveling with two colleagues at the Großer Hexenkopf in the Venediger Group when the momentous incident occurred. “When building a new climbing route in the south face, an intermediate safety device broke out of the rock and the man fell about ten meters into the rope,” the executive said.
By helicopter to the hospital
The fall could be held by the belaying partner, but the 20-year-old hit the rock face with his upper body. After the first aid by his climbing friends and the alarmed rescue workers, the German was rescued by an emergency doctor’s helicopter and flown to the Lienz district hospital with injuries to the thoracic and cervical spine.