36 Hikers Including Babies Rescued After Getting Stranded Near Deadly Drop

Thirty-six amateur hikers were pulled from the Alps by helicopter after becoming stranded on a dangerous path 2,300 meters above sea level. The incident left them mere inches away from a deadly drop. Nine of those people were British citizens. Three Americans were also part of the group. Two babies rode in prams during this ordeal. Local media called that route completely unsuitable for strollers.

Rescue teams received their first call at 5:15 pm on Sunday. Reports said up to fifteen people had gotten lost while hiking down from the Wildspitz chairlift station in Sölden, Austria. Almost immediately, another alert came through. It confirmed more hikers were missing and one person was injured. Multiple helicopters flew into the sky to search the area. Mountaineers located the entire group wandering aimlessly across the highland.

The party consisted of three families. The final count included seventeen Belgians, nine Britons, seven Austrians, and three Americans. Jakob Fiegl, operations manager for the Sölden mountain rescue service, spoke to Kronen Zeitung about how close things came to disaster. He noted some hikers were just half a meter from a sheer drop. There was even a stroller in that zone where falls were imminent.

Fiegl added that by the time choppers arrived, the group had separated significantly. In some cases, they were split by as much as 200 meters in altitude. Most intended to hike back down to the nearby Ötztal valley but took a trail going the wrong way instead. Twenty-two people could be moved down on foot or via emergency road vehicles. Helicopters lifted fourteen others down. Many required ropes for extraction.

One photo shared by climbers showed two rescuers helping a young boy with a bright green rope around his torso. Rescuer Stephan Kuen had to perform a dramatic save for two boys in a steep gulley. He built a belay station and secured one child who was dangerously close to a rock slab. Then he rappelled down to the other brother from there, before they were airlifted out together. The father watched this unfold with bated breath from higher up on the mountain. Other family members stayed there, including a toddler. Everyone in that group needed to be airlifted down eventually.

The remaining twenty-two hikers made it off safely by walking or driving away. Fiegl stated the operation was perilous and could have ended very differently. He called it touch and go. He said he could not recall any rescue involving so many people. It baffled him that amateur hikers chose a route entirely unsuitable for prams. This story could have ended in tragedy instead of relief.