A 48-year-old hiker from the Czech Republic was critically injured on Sunday afternoon on the way to the Gamskogel in the Niedere Tauern when he was hit in the head by a stone. As a result, the man fell around 50 meters down a steep gully and had to be rescued by helicopter.
A group of eight hikers from the Czech Republic set off from the Bergerhube in Triebental (Hohentauern municipality) on Sunday morning to tackle the challenging hiking trail to the 2,386 meter high Gamskogel. The group was well equipped with crampons and Grödel and suitable for the conditions at this time of year, the police report.
Stone came loose
As the hikers were crossing a rocky gully at an altitude of around 2,258 meters, a stone around 20 centimeters in size suddenly came loose from a rock and hit a 48-year-old, who was second in the group, in the head. The hiker then fell about 50 meters down the steep gully and was left lying there with life-threatening injuries.
While a colleague immediately climbed a nearby gap to get cell phone reception and make an emergency call, the remaining hikers climbed to the injured person to provide first aid. The 48-year-old was finally rescued by the crew of the C17 rescue helicopter on Tau and then flown to UKH Graz.
