[PHOTOS] Two People Buried in Avalanche in Austria During Freak Summer Snowstorm

The site of the avalanche in Karwendel. | Image: Tirol ORF

[Updated with more details and photos on September 15]

An avalanche buried a German hiker on Saturday, September 14 around 11 a.m. and subsequently an Austrian rescue worker in a follow-on avalanche. The 72-year-old German hiker had been hiking in a group of 27 hikers on the summer hiking trail in the Karwendel region in Austria, just across the border from Germany. Search and rescue teams from Tyrol, Austria, and Bavaria, Germany, responded to the scence. During the search and rescue, a team member was caught by a follow-on avalanche. Two further members of the hiking group were partially buried by were able to free themselves.

Just two weeks ago, the summer hiking trails in the Karwendel region looked like this. | Image: Bergrettung Achensee Facebook

Rescue teams from Austria and Germany worked in close cooperation to get to the site of the avalanche. The helicopter sent from Tyrol had to turn around, but two German helicopters were able to support search and rescue efforts, as well as avalanche dogs from the Bavarian mountain rescue. Rescue teams from Lenggries and Murnau arrived on foot at the scene of the accident. However, the operation was difficult and extremely dangerous because of the danger of avalanches. Unfortunately, an Austrian mountain rescue worker was partially buried by another avalanche. He was recovered and taken with knee injuries to the control center.

Photo by Lawinenhundestaffel Hochland on September 14, 2024. May be an image of 5 people, people climbing, people snowboarding, ski and people skiing. — The search for the missing 72-hear-old man had to be canceled due to inclement weather. | Image: Lawinenhundestaffel Hochland Instagram

As the weather improved, Austrian helicopters supported the search for the missing hiker, and the RECCO search device was able to pick up a signal from the victim. RECCO helicopter detectors can quickly search large areas, covering a square kilometer in six minutes. Unfortunately, due to the great danger of avalanches, the search had to be canceled around 3 p.m. The other hikers in his group made it safely through the dangerous area into the valley. The Alpine Police will decide whether and when the search will continue on Sunday.

A helicopter of the Austrian mountain rescue in the karwendel region two weeks ago. | Image: Bergrettung Achensee Facebook

According to German news, the group had arrived in the area on Friday and had planned to hike for the entire weekend. On Saturday morning, the group decided to abandon the hiking tour and turned around, but unfortunately, this decision came too late for one of the group’s members. There is little hope the man is still alive, given the survival rate drops significantly after being buried for two hours or more.

While it is unusual for avalanches to occur in September, they do happen every few years. Most recently, in 2018, an avalanche at Monte Rosa, Switzerland, killed two climbers and injured a third. September avalanches are typically caused by early snowfall, unstable snowpack, warm temperatures followed by cold snaps, and climbers venturing into high-risk areas. While rare, these incidents highlight the importance of monitoring weather and snow conditions, even in early fall.