The victims are two members of the Villach mountain rescue service, aged 30 and 39. The bodies were recovered by the regional rescue helicopter on Thursday morning at an altitude of over 2,000 metres, the Friulian Alpine Rescue Service told the APA.
The mountain rescue teams had started searching for the two climbers on Wednesday afternoon. It had previously been discovered that they had not returned as planned. Their relatives, who were waiting for their return, tried in vain to reach them by phone. The Villach residents’ car was discovered in a parking lot. The search for the two men began from there.
Search interrupted overnight
The Carinthians had set out with the intention of reaching the Cima di Riofreddo peak from the Spigolo Comici, a route with an 800-metre difference in altitude that takes several hours. The search was suspended overnight and continued on Thursday morning with an Alpine Rescue helicopter. From this helicopter the bodies of the two alpinists were located.
The causes of the accident are still being investigated. It is still unclear whether the mountaineers’ fall was caused by a mistake by one of the two men or by a possible rockfall. When they were found, the two Villach men were still tied to the rope and partially anchored in the wall. After recovery, the bodies were taken to the Saisera valley. The relatives were informed.
This article was last updated on August 1, 2024 at 11:02 am.
