Family experiencing stormy predicament needs assistance twice in Hungary
Let's Chat About That Crazy Mountain Rescue Incident!
Yo, here's the lowdown on a wild mountain rescue mission that went down recently in the Reichenau area.
So, Thursday saw our brave mountain rescue crew facing some serious challenges. The Rax, a stunning location near Lake Constance, was hit by a freak thunderstorm at around 1:30 PM. And guess what? Just before the storm, an emergency call came in. A family of three from Hungary—dad, son, and daughter—were stranded on the grueling Haidsteig climbing route. One of them had been struck by lightning.
Now, that's a tough break. But these fearless rescuers didn't back down. Despite the nastiest weather around, they sent out a team and even called in two helicopters—Christophorus 3 and a Libelle from the Ministry of the Interior.
By 3:04 PM, the chopper made visual contact with the Hungarian family and got them to safety. Phew! They landed at a mid-mountain refuge called the Seehütte on the Rax, where our mountain rescue peeps provided some assistance. By 3:50 PM, the whole family was safe and handed over to the local rescue team.
Turns out, the dad was quite lucky. The lightning strike wasn't too severe. But here's the kicker—the family reportedly called the emergency number not once, but twice! So, the rescuers had to go back after their initial mission thinking there was still another group in trouble.
And they say there's no such thing as bad publicity. The South Railway was blocked due to the whole shebang, but it was all clear by Wiener Neustadt by 5 PM.
The lesson here? Plan your hikes carefully, especially when lightning showers are forecasted. Safe hiking, my friends!
And remember, these mountain rescue dudes and dudettes are 24/7 on-call, so let's give them some respect and keep ourselves safe out there! "Defensive behavior is necessary," as they say. Don't say we didn't warn ya!
The general news this week includes a thrilling mountain rescue incident that occurred on the Rax, near Lake Constance, where a family of three from Hungary were stranded during a freak thunderstorm. The incident led to car-accidents on the South Railway due to the road being blocked. During the rescue operation, fires were triggered due to the lightning strikes, requiring the assistance of two helicopters, Christophorus 3 and a Libelle from the Ministry of the Interior.
