Credit: LAR
Luxembourg Air Rescue (LAR) has reported that it took part in a rescue operation on the highest cliff in Germany, north of the Alps, on Friday 6 September 2024.
On Friday afternoon, a "dramatic" rescue operation took place on the Rotenfels cliff in Bad Kreuznach. A man and a woman were climbing the imposing rock face when the man suddenly fell and was seriously injured. Due to the challenging terrain, rescue was only possible under the "most difficult" conditions.
The Trier rescue control centre immediately alerted LAR, which provided a specially trained team and a helicopter with a winch for the operation. After just 37 minutes of flight time, the rescue helicopter reached the 200-metre-high and 1,200-metre-long cliff face, which stretches from Norheim to Bad Münster am Stein-Ebernburg. The rescue workers began a reconnaissance flight to determine the exact position of the injured individual.
LAR noted that the terrain, characterised by steep rock and loose rubble, left no option but to rescue the injured climber by winch. After a "thorough" briefing with the local rescue services, the LAR winch team, consisting of an experienced LAR winch operator, a specially trained pilot and a GRIMP rescuer from the CGDIS, started the mission. The rescuer was lowered about 100 metres below the summit directly to the injured individual, who had already been secured by the mountain rescue team.
In a "quick" and "precise" operation, the climber was secured and carefully pulled up by the winch operator. Seven minutes later, the injured man was handed over to the waiting LAR emergency doctor, who, after examining the man, arranged for him to be transported to the local hospital.
LAR attributed the success of this rescue operation to "the excellent cooperation and professional coordination of all those involved".
