PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A German mountaineer and Olympic gold medalist who was injured while attempting to scale a peak in northern Pakistan is stranded on the mountain and search teams were forced to abort efforts to reach her after sunset on Tuesday, officials said.
Laura Dahlmeier, who also won the 2017 women’s biathlon World Cup, was seriously injured on Monday while attempting to scale Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountain range.
Another rescue attempt will get underway with the help of helicopters after dawn on Wednesday, according to Faizullah Faraq, a spokesperson for the Gilgit-Baltistan regional government. He could not provide further details on Dahlmeier’s condition.
Dahlmeier, 31, and her rope partner, Marina Eva, were struck by falling rocks during their ascent, Faraq said. Eva managed to descend to base camp with help from rescuers on Tuesday.
In Germany, Dahlmeier’s management told the broadcaster ZDF that she was seriously injured in the rockfall at an altitude of about 5,700 meters (18,700 feet) around noon on Monday.
“Due to the remoteness of the area, a helicopter was only able to reach the site of the accident on the morning of July 29,” the statement said, expressing hope that news of her rescue would follow soon.
The German news agency dpa said Dahlmeier and Eva were climbing in alpine style when the accident occurred.
Karrar Haidr i, vice president of the Pakistan Alpine Club, told The Associated Press that Dahlmeier sustained “serious injuries” and that Pakistani military helicopters were helping in coordinated rescue efforts, which started on Monday.
“Efforts to evacuate Dahlmeier by air will continue,” Haidri said.
Hundreds of climbers try to scale mountains in northern Pakistan every year, and accidents are common because of avalanches and sudden weather changes.
Pakistan’s scenic north — a draw for both tourists and mountaineers — has been struck with flash floods and landslides following above normal seasonal rains. At least 20 Pakistani tourists are still missing after they were swept away by flood waters last week near the northern Chilas district.
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Associated Press writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
