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Photo: Philipp von Ditfurth / dpa
A mountaineer died in an accident on the Watzmann in the Berchtesgaden Alps. The 20-year-old and his two companions, aged 19 and 24, slipped across a snowfield while descending from the southern tip of the 2,700-meter-high mountain, the police announced on Thursday. The group of three from Rhineland-Palatinate lost control and fell several hundred meters down a steep rock face.
The 20-year-old did not survive the fall on Wednesday afternoon. The other two men were reportedly slightly injured. As the police report continued, the two companions were only able to make an emergency call as they descended further due to poor cell phone reception.
The emergency doctor then diagnosed the 20-year-old as dead. It was said that the companions were brought back to the valley by rescue helicopter. They were taken to a hospital as a precaution. According to the information, a police helicopter took over the recovery of the body. The investigation into the exact cause of the accident is ongoing.
wit/dpa/AFP