17. 08. 09. - 14:30

• more General News news
• RSS Feed General News

17. 08. 09. - 14:30

Hiker falls off a cliff in the dark

By David Rogers

Rescuers found the body of a man on Saturday who had gone hiking in the dark Friday night and fallen off a 60-metre-high cliff in upper Styria.

The Styrian security directorate said today (Mon) Christian Sch., 42, from Wenigzell, had gone hiking with acquaintances on Friday in the upper Mürz valley in Styria.

The group had been hiking from the Brunnalm over the Niederalpl to Mariazell and was planning to overnight in the Herrenboden hut. Shortly before arriving there, however, the man and another member of the group turned around and went back to the Weißalm hut.

Christian Sch., however, left the Weißalm hut at 9pm after darkness had fallen and headed back in the direction of the Herrenboden hut.

When he failed to reappear the next morning, the group sounded the alarm. A massive search operation resulted in discovery of his body at 5pm at the base of the Hexenkessels rock wall.

The directorate said the man had evidently left a marked trail in the dark and veered off into a steep, impassable area, where he fell off the cliff to his death.

In another weekend accident in Austria’s mountains, a 77-year-old woman from Bad Eisenkappel in Carinthia’s Völkermarkt district was severely injured when she lost her balance while climbing in the Uschowa area and fell 70 metres.

Rescuers took her by helicopter to Klagenfurt emergency hospital for treatment.

Austrian Times

Cows That! Alpine village has a €17m meadow
Meet the cows that live on the world's most expensive pasture.

Traffic death toll down
The number of people killed on Austrian roads significantly declined year on year in the first half of 2010.

Nazi death camp undergoes renovation
Extensive renovation work at Third Reich forced labour camp Mauthausen started this morning, it has been reported.

Nazi death camp undergoes renovation
Extensive renovation work at Third Reich forced labour camp Mauthausen started this morning, it has been reported.

Man Booker Prize nominee 'triggered' by Fritzl case
A novel inspired by the tragic story of Elisabeth Fritzl has made the shortlist for this year’s Man Booker Prize.

Retreating Stronach rules out negative impacts on Styria
Magna founder Frank Stronach has claimed his decision to withdraw from day to day decision-making will not have unpleasant effects on his home province’s "car cluster".

Haunted mayor alarmed by praline discovery
The mayor of an Upper Austrian town has found a praline at her front door two years after receiving murder threats.

Bulls leave Breitner gutted
German football legend Paul Breitner has launched a stinging attack on Red Bull Salzburg.

Cuban troubles are fault of USA, Raul Castro's daughter claims
The daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro has claimed the United States is responsible for her country’s economic difficulties.

Brauner denies VIA switch as campaigning intensifies
Social Democratic (SPÖ) Vienna financial affairs councillor Renate Brauner has rubbished rumours she was set to enter Vienna International Airport’s (VIA) board.