[PHOTOS] Phone Call From Inside a 65-Foot Crevasse Triggers 13-Hour Rescue on Austria’s Dachstein Glacier

Two German climbers survived a terrifying fall into a deep glacier crevasse on Austria’s Hohe Dachstein after sliding more than 300 feet across steep ice and plunging as far as 65 feet into the glacier. Despite being seriously injured, one of the men managed to call emergency services from inside the crevasse about 30 minutes later, triggering a massive overnight rescue involving more than 35 rescuers. Dense fog and high winds prevented helicopters from reaching the pair for much of the night, forcing mountain rescuers to carry out a technically demanding rope rescue that lasted more than 13 hours.

The two friends from Germany, aged 32 and 39, reached the summit of the Hohe Dachstein on the afternoon of Saturday, September 5, via the Schulteranstieg (Shoulder Ascent) route. For their descent, they chose the Randkluftsteig, a via ferrata route that terminates around 2,700 meters (8,858 feet) of elevation at the upper edge of the heavily crevassed Hallstätter Glacier. Both men were properly equipped for the climbing sections and had encountered little difficulty up to that point.

• Related: Melting Glacier at Dachstein Glacier Resort, Austria, Exposes Long Lost Ski Lift Remains

To cross the steep, roughly 40-degree glacier ice field below the via ferrata’s end, the pair descended together as a roped glacier team, connected by about 10 meters (33 feet) of rope. Just a few meters into the descent, the rear climber lost his footing on the steep ice and fell — pulling his roped partner down with him. The pair slid approximately 100 meters (328 feet) across the glacier before falling into a crevasse. One man came to rest roughly 15 meters (50 feet) down and the other approximately 20 meters (65 feet) deep. Despite their injuries, one of the two men managed to place an emergency call at around 5:30 p.m., roughly 30 minutes after the fall.

Austria’s Styrian State Warning Center alerted the Ramsau Mountain Rescue (Bergrettung Ramsau am Dachstein) team at 5:35 p.m. Rescuers initially headed toward the area near the Seethalerhütte, but when the injured men couldn’t be located there despite repeated shouting, the team continued their ascent across the heavily crevassed glacier toward the Dachstein-Randkluft area, eventually locating the pair by calling out to them.

The severely broken, crevasse-riddled terrain made reaching the two men extremely difficult. Rescuers had to set up numerous rope anchors and drive ice bolts to safely approach the site. The operation ultimately grew to more than 35 alpine rescuers, drawing on the Ramsau mountain rescue team, alpine police, and members of the Styrian mountain rescue service who happened to be nearby for a training exercise and joined to help.

Poor weather severely limited aerial options. Dense fog prevented the ÖAMTC’s Christophorus 14 emergency helicopter — carrying an air rescuer and an emergency doctor — from approaching the site directly, while a police helicopter was used instead for shuttle flights. As fog thickened further, rescue personnel and equipment were brought up the mountain via the gondola of the Dachstein Glacier Railways, whose operators were specially thanked for their support in keeping the operation supplied throughout the night.

Both men were found to be severely hypothermic by the time rescuers reached them. Medical teams worked to stabilize their body temperature and provide emergency care before the technically demanding extraction could even begin. The pair were eventually pulled from the crevasse and then carefully taken down the steep glacier passage on ropes, accompanied by rescuers every step of the way.

One of the climbers was only slightly injured and could be transported off the mountain with a snow groomer. He was taken to the Red Cross in Schladming for further treatment. The other climber was seriously injured and not fit for ground transport. However, due to the difficult weather conditions with dense fog and wind, the rescue helicopter could not reach him until around 03:30 a.m. The seriously injured person was then flown to the Salzburg accident hospital for further medical care.

The Ramsau Mountain Rescue’s operation was formally concluded at 6:40 a.m., roughly 13 hours after the first alert came in.

Officials from both the Bergrettung (Mountain Rescue) Steiermark and Austria’s Alpine Police emphasized how demanding the operation was, given the combination of dense fog, high winds, technical glacier terrain, and encroaching darkness that ruled out a straightforward helicopter rescue for most of the night. Ramsau Mountain Rescue expressed its gratitude to Dachstein resort for supporting rescue crews by transporting rescue teams and equipment with resort infrastructure, and called it critical to the operation’s ultimate success.

The Dachstein Glacier is located in the Austrian region of Styria, or Steiermark as it is called in German. The area is located about 90 minutes southeast of Salzburg. The Dachstein Glacier is part of the greater Schladming-Dachstein area, which operates several alpine resorts, cross-country skiing, and ski jumping. Schladming is famous for holding the men’s FIS World Cup Night Slalom every year.

The Dachstein Glacier is open year-round for exploring and features a hanging bridge, ice palace, hiking trails, and a skywalk viewing platform. The glacier used to offer summer skiing in an area situated between 2,264 meters (7,428 feet) and 2,700 meters (8,858 feet) of altitude. It was a popular athlete training venue, but this ceased 10 years ago.

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