Tragic accidents in Garmisch: Two hikers die in the mountains

Tragic accidents in Garmisch: Two hikers die in the mountains

For hikes near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, tragic accidents occurred on Thursday, which cost two men their lives. A 28-year-old hiker crashed several hundred meters after he had probably slipped during a crossing. The accident was discovered lifeless by a hiking group; Help came too late. An older man, 62 years old, collapsed on the Wank during his hike. A hiker who happened to come by tried to reanimate him, but this mission was also unsuccessful. A doctor later found a natural cause of death. These incidents are in the context of a worrying series of accidents in the mountains, such as alpin.de recently reported.

In the first two weeks of 2025 there were several dramatic incidents in the German and Austrian Alps. On Lake Attersee, a 59-year-old man crashed 15 meters and suffered serious injuries, while a mountaineer on the Großglockner also survived a 300-meter crash, but with serious injuries. In addition to these incidents, in the first half of the Juni, emergency-like help assignments are also to be noted due to hypothermia on the Zugspitze.

accident potential for mountain hiking

The increasing reports on hiking accidents raise the question of the accident potential for mountain hiking. A study by DAV security research from the spring of 2021 shows that around a third of the mountain accidents result from emergency situations by wandering, in which no rescue workers are called. The majority of accidents are done by stumbling, bending or slipping. In the DAV mountain accident statistics, these incidents make up a significant part. Bergundstieg emphasizes that many wandering simply act in these situations or survive the situation lightly, which further increases the number of unreported accidents.

particularly widespread are overwhelmed or underwhelmed with passages of path, which found 77 % of those surveyed to be uncomfortable. Despite these distress, these are often not perceived as dangerous, especially in thunderstorms that have been experienced by 57 % of those surveyed in the past 10 years. Prevention should therefore focus on training courses on sure -footedness and the right tour planning in order to reduce the risk of such adventures.

As the latest events show, it is essential for mountain hikers to prepare well and to assess their own skills realistically. Mountain hiking remains a wonderful experience, but also harbors dangers that want to be well careful. The incidents in Garmisch-Partenkirchen are an urgent indication of the seriousness of this threat.