A local government spokesman reported that German biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier, who had collapsed while climbing at a remote site reportedly had to be saved due to bad weather, had died on a mountain in northern Pakistan.
When Dahlmeier, a medal-winning Olympic climber, collided with a survivor while climbing Laila Peak in the Karakoram Mountains on Monday, she was struck by falling rocks.
According to Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government, rescuers were able to confirm Dahlmeier’s death on Wednesday, but because of unfavorable weather, they were unable to retrieve the body.
According to Faraq, any final decision regarding the body’s retrieval would be made in accordance with Dahlmeier’s family’s wishes. It was her wish that no one would risk their lives when they recovered her body after an accident, according to a statement on Dalhmeier’s Instagram page.
Dahlmeier’s parents were expressly condoled by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who wrote that she “was an exceptional sportswoman.” He brought up the moment he gave her the Silver Laurel Leaf, the highest award in German sport, shortly after she won her first gold medal at the 2018 Olympics.
According to him, Laura Dahlmeier served as our nation’s ambassador for the world and served as a model for peaceful, content, and fair coexistence across borders.
Authorities launched the rescue mission on Monday after Dahlmeier’s climbing partner, Marina Eva, received a distress signal on Tuesday and managed to reach base camp with assistance from rescuers.
According to the statement on Dahlmeier’s Instagram page, the partner of hers had attempted to save her for several hours, but it was in vain due to the challenging terrain and persistent rockfall. According to the statement, “Her partner, who could no longer discern any signs of life, ultimately decided to leave the danger zone and resume her descent.”
No one should risk their lives in a situation like this, according to Dahlmeier’s express wish, which was later reiterated in the statement, pleading for that wish to be honored. The rescue team and climbers, who made her rescue possible, were praised by Dahlmeier’s family members.
Foreign climbers who died while attempting to summit mountains in Pakistan are typically rescued at the families’ request, but if the family declines to rescue them, the remains are left where they were.
According to her management team in Germany, Dahlmeier, age 31, was injured at a height of about 5,700 meters (18,700 feet) on Monday at noon.
Since the end of June, Dahlmeier and friends have been visiting the area. The 6, 069-metre (20, 000-foot) Laila Peak was the second peak on her tour after she climbed the 6, 287-metre (20, 626-foot) Great Trango Tower on July 8.
According to Faraq, military helicopters were on standby for any rescue, but due to bad weather, they were unable to deploy. According to him, two Americans and two climbers have been attempting the same ascent that Dahlmeier did in an effort to join the rescue operation.
According to her website, Dahlmeier won 20 World Cup competitions, seven gold medals, three silver, and five bronze medals at the 2016-17 World Championships.
In 2018, she won gold in the individual competition and gold medals in the sprint and pursuit events at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
At the age of 25, Dahlmeier ended her biathlon career. After deciding to end her biathlon career, she returned to the German Alps’ Garmisch-Partenkirchen and began mountaineering expeditions. She volunteered for the Garmisch-Partenkirchen mountain rescue team and earned a state-certified mountain and ski guide designation since 2023.
In northern Pakistan, avalanches and sudden weather changes cause accidents frequently among climbers who attempt to scale mountains each year.
Source: Aljazeera
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