An American tourist died after he fell while hiking in the Bavarian Alps on July 3.
The 73-year-old man, whose name was not revealed by the police, fell from 361 feet during a hike on Jenner Mountain at the northern end of Konigsee Lake in Bavaria at around 2:30 p.m.
Jenner Mountain (6,148 feet) is part of the Göll massif in the Berchtesgaden Alps with several hiking trails that lead to the Hohes Brett and Scheibstein peaks, as well as to Berchtesgaden National Park in the south. It is reachable via cable car.
The man who died had joined a tour on the mountain. He arrived by train before the group’s climb to the peak, according to Berchtesgaden District Police. He apparently lost his balance on the rocky terrain and fell backwards. He suffered severe injuries that cost him his life, authorities said.
A man from Hamburg who saw the accident immediately called emergency services and climbed down to the man who had fallen to administer first aid. However, when he realized it was too late to rescue the victim, the man made an emergency call to the Berchtesgaden Mountain Rescue service. Volunteers headed to the scene.
A medical team arrived by helicopter and pronounced the man dead. They took the body away on the helicopter, while mountain rescue workers remained at the scene to offer psychological support to the group of hikers affected by the incident.
Authorities have not said whether the man was hiking alone or accompanied by friends or family members.
Berchtesgaden is a German town on the Austrian border. It is where Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest retreat, the Kehlsteinhaus, which became infamous during the Nazi era, is located.
Jenner Mountain is also the site of an Alpine ski resort and a popular destination for ski mountaineers.
In July 2018, an 84-year-old hiker fell to his death in the Bavarian Alps. He is believed to have fallen about 328 feet after losing his balance while climbing the western flank of the Brecherspitz, a peak near the border with Austria, according to media reports. There are striking views of Schliersee Lake from the mountain.
The federal state of Bavaria includes Lake Constance, Franconia, the capital city of Munich and the Alps. The Bavarian Alps cross the border into Austria.
The Alpine region is considered among the most beautiful and picturesque in Germany.
(Edited by Fern Siegel and Judith Isacoff)
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