A team of climbers will launch a rescue mission for the German double Biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier days after she was seriously injured by a Rockfall on a mountain in northern Pakistan.
The accident happened around noon on Monday at an altitude of 5,700 m on Laila Peak in the Karakoram range, according to a statement from the Dahlmeier team. The 31-year-old was “struck by falling rocks” and no one could have reached her because of the danger of further rockfalls and the “removal” of the site. Her climbing partner was able to sound the alarm after achieving safety.
“It was established that a helicopter saving is not possible,” said Areb Ahmed Mukhtar, a high local officer in the Ghanche district, where the mountain is more than 6,000 m (19,700 ft). “The circumstances that she was injured are extremely challenging, and a team of foreign climbers will launch a land rescue mission today.”
Shipton Trek & Tours Pakistan, which organized the expedition, confirmed the ground rescue on Wednesday by a team of four with three Americans and a German mountaineer.
A helicopter succeeded in flying over the location and sawing rescuers that “the experienced mountain climber is at least seriously injured,” it said. “No signs of life were detected.”
Muhammad Ali, a local disaster management official, said AFP that the weather conditions have been “extremely hard” in the region last week, with rain, strong wind and thick clouds.
Dahlmeier, an experienced mountaineer, had been in the region since the end of June and had already taken off the Great Trango tower.
The International Biathlon Union said it “thought of Dahlmeier and her family, hoping for good news that will be released soon”. She has won seven gold medals from the world championship and at the Winter Olympics 2018 in Pyeongchang she became the first female biathlete to win the sprint and the chase at the same competitions.
After the promotion of the newsletter
Dahlmeier withdrew from the professional competition in 2019 at the age of 25. She became a commentator at Biathlon events for the German broadcaster ZDF and also started mountain climbing. She is a certified mountain and ski guide and an active member of the Mountain Rescue, according to her team.
#Climbers #injured #rescue #German #Olympic #champion #Pakistan #Mountains