On Saturday, a fatal accident occurred in the Tatra mountains of Slovakia. Tourists from Poland tried to climb the so-called “Tartar Road” to Gerlach, but – as Slovak rescuers reported, they did not have the appropriate equipment and got stuck on it. On Sunday, rescuers carried the body of a Pole who died while leading a group to the highest peak of the Tatra Mountains.
On Saturday morning, the headquarters of the Horska Zachranna Service, Poland's equivalent of the Voluntary Mountain Emergency Service, received a call from a group of Polish hikers who needed help and were stuck at the foot of the Gerlacha peak. “The group of Polish tourists, without the necessary equipment, was led by a member of this group. After the guide fell, the rest of the group got stuck on the Tatarka trail, and all communication with him was cut off,” the HZS said. the rescuers reported.
The rescue operation was hampered by a strong wind
Due to strong wind, the rescue helicopter could not take off from the base. Two groups of rescuers came to help. Rescuers first found the body of a man who suffered fatal injuries due to a fall. More hypothermic hikers were found nearby and first aid was administered.
“After another 300 meters, mountain rescuers reached the remaining two members of the group. The man and the woman were unable to move. They were also given first aid. Using the rope technique, the injured were taken to the Tetmajer Pass and then to the Batjowiecka Valley and further by their illegal car to “Stary Smokovec was transported,” Slovak rescuers said. The rescue operation, which continued until Saturday evening, was hampered by the strong wind and the layer of ice that covered the rocky slopes. The man's body was airlifted by helicopter only on Sunday, after the weather improved. Slovak police will investigate the causes of the incident.
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