Two people died in accidents in Bavaria’s mountains on New Year’s Eve. A 41-year-old from the Nuremberg area fell around 100 meters over rocky terrain on a via ferrata on the Alpspitze. Also on Sunday, a 53-year-old died in an accident on a mountain tour in the Ammergau Alps.
No evidence of foul play
According to police, the 41-year-old who had an accident at the Alpspitze near Garmisch-Partenkirchen suffered fatal head injuries in his fall. Other mountaineers rushed to the man, but were no longer able to help him.
Members of the mountain rescue service and the police Alpine task force recovered the body with the help of a helicopter. The police have so far no evidence of foul play. According to the information, the via ferrata, the Alpspitz-Ferrata, is a moderately difficult route that can also be climbed in winter if the conditions are right.
On the way in a steeply sloping passage
The 53-year-old was descending from Pilgerschrofen, a summit of the Säuling, with two other hikers on New Year’s Eve afternoon when he lost his footing on the icy ground, slipped and fell. The other two men were no longer able to prevent the 53-year-old from falling. One of them made the emergency call, while the other went down to the victim, where he could only determine that the man was dead.
According to the police on Monday, the hiking group was walking on a steeply sloping passage on the snow-covered terrain. The Säuling is a mountain on the German-Austrian border near Schwangau (Ostallgäu district).