Munich hiker crashes: mountain rescue service saves him to nightly odyssey

Munich hiker crashes: mountain rescue service saves him to nightly odyssey

In the night from May 27th to May 28th, 2025 there was a dramatic mountain accident in the Hagen Mountains, near Schönau am Königssee. A 41-year-old from Munich got lost when descending from the slipst head and slipped over a snow field. This situation was not only a significant danger to the hiker, but also required extensive rescue use.

The Berchtesgaden mountain rescue guard was immediately alerted. The emergency call received shortly after 9:30 p.m., but the exact position of the accident was unclear due to a poor cell phone connection. The mountain rescuers had to adjust to a quick search, which ultimately extended over six hours. The first rescue measures were initiated about an hour later.

rescue operation under difficult conditions

The assignment was extremely challenging. A police helicopter that was equipped with a thermal imaging camera could not fly due to adverse weather conditions. Instead, a second helicopter was used with a rescue winch to recover the injured hiker and a rescuer. The climatic conditions were a crucial factor that strongly influenced the search and rescue measures.

The mountain rescuers were able to raise the Munich team together with a rescuer in a first approach. A second approach was necessary to transport the remaining mountain rescuers. When the mission finally ended at 3:40 a.m. in the early morning, the man had suffered injuries to the arm and hand and was hypothermic. He was no longer able to walk and was brought to the Bad Reichenhall district clinic.

increase in mountain accidents in the Alps

This incident is not isolated. The setbacks for hikers in the Alps increase, as can be seen from reports. Just a few days earlier, on May 24, 2025, a five -member hiking group in the Wilder Kaiser got into mountainous. A few days later, on May 26, there was a tragic accident on the Rimpfischhorn in the Valais Alps, where five ski tourers were killed. In this context, the mountain rescue service is required throughout May: In Berchtesgaden, it counted a total of 15 missions this month.

These developments are alarming and remind all mountain hikers for increased caution and careful planning of their tours. The autumn weather conditions can lead to unpredictable situations. On the mountains it is still important to be well prepared and ensured at any time.