Large-scale mountain rescue exercise: Missing hikers successfully rescued!

Large-scale mountain rescue exercise: Missing hikers successfully rescued!

The mountain rescue services and fire brigade units recently carried out an impressive exercise for rescue at heights in steep terrain. Loud Schwäbische.de The mountain rescue services from Rottweil, Zollernalb, Furtwangen/Black Forest and Donau-Heuberg as well as the Schwenningen fire brigade and the drone unit of the Gosheim fire brigade were involved in the operation. The aim of this intensive exercise was to train the rescue and recovery of injured people efficiently.

The situation was particularly challenging when four people from a hiking group between Heidenstadt and Wilflingen were reported missing. Precise location was difficult because inaccurate GPS data and unclear descriptions made rescue efforts difficult. Dominik Weiss, who heads the Rottweil mountain rescue service and coordinated the exercise, found that a thermal imaging camera could not be used effectively due to the heat.

Successful rescue under difficult conditions

There were some “injuries” during the exercise. Simon Tscherter suffered circulatory problems, while Thorsten Armbruster suffered a broken ankle. Despite these challenges, all four “injured people” were successfully rescued and taken to the fire department magazine. The processes provided valuable insights into communication between the different units. A special code word has been agreed upon for future real emergencies to optimize collaboration.

The members of the mountain rescue service are trained paramedics who often finance their equipment themselves and do not receive any compensation. This dedicated force not only has experience in rescuing living people, but also in rescuing the deceased, as Weiss emphasized. He remembered a search for missing persons two years ago that had positive results. This exercise was rated as consistently successful by Weiss and Sascha Mey.

Drones in use

Another exciting aspect of this rescue exercise was the use of drones. The drone unit of the Gosheim fire department, which consists of twelve members, has become firmly integrated into mountain rescue. Drones offer a unique technology for monitoring and identifying danger spots in inaccessible terrain, which is particularly advantageous in mountain rescue. The use of drones is now used by many mountain rescue services in Germany to quickly get an overview of the situation and find missing people Bavaria mountain rescue service reported.

However, the use of drones in the Alps also brings with it some challenges. The EU Drone Regulation, which has been in force since January 1, 2021, is subject to strict regulations that define different risk classes and require registration of drones. Particularly critical areas of application are often nature reserves where special regulations apply. However, drones have become indispensable for mountain rescue, as they are not only equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal imaging technology, but can also help identify missing people Bergundstieg.com emphasized.

The combination of traditional mountain rescue and modern technology clearly shows how important innovations are for safety in the mountains. Many of the drones in use cost over 22,000 euros and are subsidized by institutions such as the Austrian Alpine Club. The rapid integration of such technologies could become even more crucial in the future in order to quickly find missing people and increase safety in the mountains.