The recovery of ex-biathlete Laura Dahlmeier, who had seriously crashed in mountaineering, is still extremely difficult due to the conditions on the Laila Peak in the Pakistani Karakorum Mountains. Instead of out of the air, it should now be recovered across the ground.
“It was found that a recovery by helicopter is not possible”said Areeb Ahmed Mukhtar, a high -ranking local officer in the Ghanche district, the AFP news agency. “The conditions in which it was injured are extremely difficult.”
According to her management, the tragic misfortune occurred at an altitude of around 5700 meters. A team of foreign mountaineers had one on Wednesday on the mountain in the Ghanche region “Floor rescue operation” started. As Hiptone Trek & Tours Pakistan confirmed as the organizer of the expedition to AFP, three Americans and a German mountaineer are part of the rescue team.
Dahlmeier “at least seriously injured”
The 31-year-old had an accident on Monday. Due to problems with the rescue work, it was only possible to determine that the state-certified mountain and ski guide could be found in the event of a helicopter surge “At least seriously injured” be. According to the notification of their management, signs of life could not be recognized.
According to the Pakistani tourism authority, the search for Dahlmeier was hired on Tuesday evening due to darkness.
Dahlmeier already accident
Dahlmeier was on July 28th with her rope partner in the alpine style when she was hit by a rockfall. According to Management, the accident happened around 5,700 meters of the 6,069 meter high mountain around Monday afternoon.
The rope partner immediately set off an emergency call that the rescue operation was initiated immediately. According to ARD information from the accident region, the two climbers are said to have been traveling alone and without special high mountain equipment.
Conflict region: Apparently only allowed military flights
Due to the seclusion of the area and further threatening rockfall, a military helicopter could only reach the scene of the accident on the morning of July 29th. An international mountain rescue team is currently coordinating the salvage, it said: “They are supported by experienced international climbers who are in the region.” Because of the “Kashmir conflict” with India, only helicopters of the military are allowed to rise in the Pakistani Karakorum region.
According to her management, Dahlmeier had been with friends in the region since the end of June and had successfully had the Great Trango Tower (6,287 meters). The Laila Peak was the second planned summit destination.
Altitude Nestler: “Particularly hot and dry”
In an interview with the BR radio wave “Bayern 1”, the German mountaineer and mountain blogger Stefan Nestler said: “This summer it was extremely hot and dry in the Karakorum. And that led to the fact that Steinschlag was reported on all large mountains. At the Nanga Parbat, on K2, on the big 8,000s”. Most of the “normal” expeditions could not have taken place.
“It was hellishly dangerous to climb there. It is a dangerous area with sophisticated mountains anyway. But there were also the climatic conditions that can also be attributed to climate change”the experienced expert continues. On his website, Nestler had repeatedly reported the dry weather in the Karakorum Mountains and also about a rockfall there in the past few weeks.
Veronika Schirmer, a very good friend of Laura Dahlmeier, said some time ago in a ZDF documentary about the dangerous hobby: “The concern for mountaineering is simply a risk sport. At some point the statistics strike, but I just trust her what she is doing.”
Great sympathy in social networks
Numerous athletes took part in social networks in a very short time and expressed their support. “Suddenly time stands still. We all think of you Laura”for example, wrote tobogganist Felix Loch. “In my thoughts”wrote his colleague Dajana Eitberger.
One of the most successful German biathletes
Dahlmeier is one of the most successful German biathletes in World Cup history. She won seven gold, three silver and five bronze medals at Biathlon World Championships, a total of 20 World Cup races and the overall World Cup of the 2016/17 season. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, she won gold in the sprint and the chasing race and the bronze medal in the individual competition.
In May 2019, Dahlmeier ended her career as a competitive athlete. Since then she has performed as a ZDF expert and focused on mountaineering. It was only last November that the mountain and ski guide, which had been state and ski guide since 2023, had climbed the Himalaya summit Ama Dablam in Nepal and set up a speed record.