A group of British hikers, including babies and toddlers in prams, had to be airlifted from the Austrian Alps after getting into difficulty. The nine were part of a larger group that set off on a walk above the resort town of Sölden last Sunday.
Wrong turn leads to dangerous terrain
The group had planned to hike back down to the valley after taking the Wildspitz cable car to the top of an 8,694ft-high mountain. But they took a wrong turn and found themselves struggling to navigate dangerously harsh terrain at an altitude of 7,628ft.
Rescue official Jakob Kiegl told Kronen Zeitung that some members of the group were only 'about half a metre from a precipice and could barely hold on'. 'There was even a stroller in the area where falls were imminent,' he added.
Group spread across the terrain
The news outlet reported that the group, described as 'completely inexperienced in mountaineering', had not stayed together. Mr Fiegl said: 'We were faced with the challenge that the hikers had spread out across the terrain. They were, in some cases, separated by as much as 200 metres in altitude.'
Equipment among the group – which also included 17 Belgians, seven Austrians, and three Americans – was described by a rescuer as having been 'equal to zero'.
Rescue operation described as 'touch and go'
One dad with a toddler and other relatives watched from a higher point as his sons were airlifted from an area 'dangerously close to a rock slab'. Mr Fiegl said he could not recall a rescue operation involving so many people.
'This story could have ended very differently,' he added. 'The rescue was touch and go.'
