There was a fatal accident in the Slovak Tatra Mountains on Saturday. Tourists from Poland tried to climb Gerlach via the so-called Tartar Way, but – as Slovak rescuers reported – they did not have the appropriate equipment and got stuck on the top. On Sunday, rescuers transported the body of a Pole who died while leading a group to the highest peak in the Tatra Mountains.
On Saturday morning, the headquarters of the Horska Zachranna Service, the equivalent of the Polish Mountain Volunteer Rescue Service, received a call from a group of Polish tourists who needed help and were stuck under the Gerlacha peak. “A group of Polish tourists, without the necessary equipment in the climbing area, was led by one member of this group. After the guide fell, the rest of the group got stuck on the Tatarka Path, losing all contact with him,” HZS rescuers reported.
The rescue operation was hampered by strong winds
Due to strong winds, the rescue helicopter could not take off from the base. Two groups of rescuers set out to help. Rescuers first found the body of a man who suffered fatal injuries as a result of a fall. More hypothermic tourists were found nearby and were given first aid.
“After another 300 meters, the mountain rescuers reached the remaining two members of the group. The man and the woman were unable to move. They also received first aid. Using rope techniques, the injured were brought to the Tetmajer Pass, and then to the Batyzhowiecka Valley and further transported in their off-road vehicle to Stary Smokovec,” Slovak rescuers said. The rescue operation, which lasted until Saturday evening, was hampered by strong, gusty winds and a layer of ice covering the rocky slopes. The man's body was transported by helicopter only on Sunday, after the weather conditions improved. The causes of the incident will be investigated by the Slovak police.
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