Bodies of 2 Mountaineers Found Dangling from Climbing Ropes in Italian Alps at 6,600 Feet

Raven Brunner
Thu, August 1, 2024 at 2:59 PM MDT·

Authorities said it's unclear what caused them to fall, proposing that it might have been the result of human error or a potential rockslide

Two Austrian mountaineers have been found dead in the Italian Alps after being reported missing.

On Thursday, Aug. 1, the climbers' bodies were located dangling from their climbing ropes at an altitude of roughly 2,000 meters (about 6,600 feet), according to a translated Facebook post from the emergency rescue service Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico Friuli Venezia Giulia.

The mountaineers, both from Villach, Austria, were climbing the Cima di Riofreddo mountain in the Julian Alps, which stretch from Northern Italy to Slovenia. Their loved ones attempted to reach them by phone when they didn’t return, per the statement.

The rescue service said that it is unclear what caused the fall, suggesting that it could’ve been the result of human error or a potential rockslide.

Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico

There were two rescue operations with a helicopter to recover the climbers. The bodies were located on the first mission, but they were unable to be recovered because of safety reasons.

Around 5 a.m. local time, the second mission took off with rescuers and a helicopter technician on board, as well as 10 rescuers at the base camp for additional assistance.

Prior to the rescue, the two climbers' vehicle was located in the parking lot, per the initial report.

Related: YouTuber, 22, Dies Falling From Mountain While Filming Video: 'We Are in Great Grief,' Says Mom

According to Summit Post, Cima di Riofreddo reaches an elevation of 8,225 feet and has "high walls and sharp ridges on all sides." According to the outlet, the mountain is difficult to climb as there isn’t a marked path to reach its summit.

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That same day, the rescue service posted alerts for several other emergency situations, one of which involved a hiker who got stuck on the Tenente Ferrante di Ruffano climbing route. He was hanging with a safety cord after experiencing difficulties with his equipment. He was returned to safety by a group of rescuers.

The other incidents involved a climber who had difficulties with a rocky wall at the shoulder of the Bila Pec mountain and a hiker who needed to be escorted to Piani del 

Bodies of mountaineers found dangling from climbing ropes near peak

CBSNews
Updated Thu, August 1, 2024 

Two Austrian mountaineers have died while attempting to summit a 2,500-meter (8,200-foot) peak in Italy's Julian Alps, the mountain rescue service of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region bordering Austria said Thursday.

Missing since Wednesday, the two men were both Alpine rescuers from the southern Austrian city of Villach close to the Slovenian and Austrian borders, the rescue service said on Facebook. Family members awaiting their return tried to reach them by phone but their calls went unanswered.

They were scaling the "Cima di Riofreddo," whose peak culminates at more than 2,500 meters, when they fell either because of a mistake or a possible rockslide.

Their bodies were dangling from their climbing ropes, still partially anchored to the mountainside, when they were found at an altitude of around 2,000 meters on Thursday morning, the rescuers added.

Initially it wasn't possible to reach the climbers due to safety reasons but early Thursday morning, a helicopter with rescuers on board were finally able to reach the two mountaineers, and their bodies were recovered, the rescue service said.



The climbers' deaths comes after other casualties in the region in recent months. In June, a professional skier and his girlfriend fell more than 2,000 feet to their deaths while mountain climbing in the Italian Alps. In January, two Italian hikers were killed in an avalanche in the Alps close to the border between Italy and Switzerland, Reuters reported.

In 2022, a large chunk of Alpine glacier broke loose and slid down a mountainside in Italy, killing at least nine hikers.