EPA/GIAN EHRENZELLERWanderers on the Schesaplana in 2017
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 09:01
A hiking group of seven people from Belgium must fear a high bill from the police after the hikers were rescued from the high mountains in the Austrian-Swiss border area.
The four adults and three children had climbed the Schesaplana, at 2965 meters the highest peak of the Rätikon Mountains. After spending the night in a hut, the hikers did not dare to make the steep descent over snowfields, after which the hut owner called the rescue service.
The police eventually flew the group off the mountain by helicopter and now want this rescue operation to be paid for by the group of Belgians themselves. The hikers had not prepared well for the hike, the police said.
In the Alpine countries, it has been debated for years whether the rescue services should charge careless or ill-equipped hikers if they need help. Due to its steepness, the Schesaplana is known as a challenging mountain for hikers, with snow fields that remain in place even in summer due to the high altitude.
2023-08-13 07:01:54
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