A 42-year-old mountaineer died on the Watzmann in the Berchtesgaden Alps. The man from North Rhine-Westphalia fell about 150 meters above the so-called waterfall plates on the east face of the mountain on Thursday, the police said. He was therefore traveling with two companions from southern Bavaria on the Berchtesgadener Weg above Lake Königssee.
All three climbers were experienced and well equipped, it was said. However, they got lost and ended up in terrain with grass and boulders. When the men noticed the mistake and wanted to climb back, a larger rock broke off the 42-year-old – and he fell. Two other mountaineers who were below the waterfall slabs and witnessed the fall made an emergency call, as did the two companions of the person who had fallen.
The mountain rescue service came to the scene of the accident with a rescue helicopter, but was only able to determine that the man was dead. The companions and the two witnesses were flown out. According to information, the rescue of the injured man by the police mountain guide and mountain rescue service was extremely difficult in the area.