Missing without a trace: 60-year-old climber missing for five days in Zillertal

Emergency services are baffled by the disappearance of a mountaineer in the Zillertal valley without a trace. The 60-year-old has been missing since setting out on a mountain trip from Friesenberghaus on Thursday. An intensive search has so far been unsuccessful and there are fears of an accident.

Finkenberg – A 60-year-old climber from the Zillertal has been swallowed by the earth for five days. The German checked in at Friesenberghaus, located at an altitude of nearly 2,500 meters in the city of Finkenberg, on Thursday afternoon. He then reportedly started his mountain journey to the Hoher Riffler (3,231 meters above sea level).

When the climber still hadn’t returned to the hut around 10pm, the lodge owner reported him missing to police, who along with three others conducted an initial search late at night, but to no avail.

Search dogs and helicopters

On Friday, eight emergency personnel from the Ginzling Mountain Rescue Service with two rescue dogs and the Alpine Police’s “Libelle” helicopter were dispatched to search for the missing man. The search had to be called off again late at night. On Saturday, the “Dragonfly” was also used to search for the man, but again without success. The weather on Sunday and Monday did not allow flights.

Ulli Huber, local branch manager of the Ginzling Mountain Rescue Service

© Tyrol Mountain Rescue

For Uli Huber, head of the local Ginzling Mountain Rescue Agency, the disappearance is also a mystery. “The journey from Friesenberghaus to Hoher Riffler is actually not a very difficult undertaking. At around 700 meters above sea level, there are hardly any places where you can fall,” Huber explained. You can imagine that the area is a bit like a stone desert. The 60-year-old was also said to be wearing dark clothing, which made the search even more difficult.

“Either his position was ‘unfavorable’ or he decided to go another route,” said the local branch manager. “The gentleman is said to be an amateur photographer. Perhaps he saw an incentive that pulled him in a different direction.”

Things left in the hut

According to Ulli Huber, one must assume that this was an accident. “The climber had ordered food for the evening at the Friesenberghaus. He also left most of his things in the hut. So he must have wanted to come back,” said the experienced mountain rescuer.

Police helicopters will be out again on Tuesday searching for the man. “We can roughly classify the area where the climber could be. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any concrete information yet,” said a spokesman for the police tasked with searching for the missing. No mountain rescue was involved on Tuesday. However, the local branch manager in Günzlingen believes that he and his colleagues will be asked to return to work if the 60-year-old is not found. (TT.com)