Mountain Rescue Warns: Autumn is peak season for accidents

The moderate summer weather has provided relief for mountain rescuers in Austria. As Hans Ebner, head of the alpine police, said to journalists in Vienna on Wednesday, the number of operations decreased by about 30 percent in the cool and rainy July compared to previous years. This is also reflected in the number of casualties: From November 1, 2024, to September 16, 2025, there were 238 deaths in the domestic mountains. From November 1, 2023, to September 16, 2024, there were 283.

Overall, however, there was a slight increase in operations from November 1, 2024, to September 16, 2025 - the alpine police always count a year starting with the winter season. The past winter was responsible for the increase. And as Ebner and Martin Otahal, deputy head of the air police and a helicopter pilot himself, warned, the main season for hikers is just now, in autumn. They pointed out that alpinists can minimize their risk by following relatively simple behavioral rules. "The most important thing is tour planning: You have to choose the right tour for yourself, adjust the length and difficulty to your own abilities and fitness level," said Ebner. Those who go to the mountains also need appropriate equipment: "Footwear, clothing, first aid materials, phone," emphasizes the head of the alpine police.

Apart from that, hikers and mountaineers should definitely inform themselves about the weather conditions. "If a front is approaching, I can't do ten-hour tours," explained Ebner. Likewise, one should note that the days in autumn are significantly shorter, and darkness falls much earlier. And last but not least, the destination should be communicated: Relatives, accommodation providers, or hut hosts should be informed about where the hikers are heading.

Each year, there are around 300 to 400 missing person reports in the alpine area. "Searches for missing persons are resolved within an hour in many cases because the missing person has reappeared," said Ebner. Search operations are fundamentally a matter of public safety. Rescue organizations like mountain rescue or fire departments assist. Often enough, however, it takes longer and becomes quite elaborate. In such search operations, the helicopters of the air police also help.

Otahal also had an additional recommendation for choosing the right clothing: It should be highly visible, even if camouflage clothing is in trend. During search operations, it is difficult to see. Alpinists should also ensure they can be easily noticed because searches and rescues with a helicopter can become very expensive, especially if experts determine that gross negligence of the person to be rescued led to the operation. A flat rate of 53 euros is charged per flight minute. With an average duration of one hour for a flight operation, that would be 3,180 euros.

In the calendar year 2024, for example, the air police, which is located at the Directorate for Special Units (DSE) in the Ministry of the Interior, conducted 386 rescues of uninjured persons. Nearly half of them - 184 - were charged to the rescued individuals. In total, this amounted to a sum of 519,000 euros. Otahal also appealed that when making an emergency call, one should not wait too long. The operation becomes more difficult, complex, and riskier the worse the weather is or the faster darkness falls.

For the rescuers, whether on the ground or in the air, it is clear that it is also about keeping the risk to themselves as small as possible. "It can happen that we have to wait one or two days due to avalanche danger until the situation has improved enough for an operation to be justifiable," said Ebner. "We are, of course, grateful for every operation that doesn't have to be flown," added Otahal.

Rescues and recoveries in alpine areas are among the most risky by nature. And for helicopter pilots, it is also an aviation challenge. "The weather is the primary concern. Especially in alpine regions, the weather behaves atypically. For example, wind conditions are often quite different than expected." Additionally, the helicopter's performance decreases with increasing altitude due to thinner air.

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here .