SPer Death on Gerlach, Slovakia
Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:08 pmThis report may be coming a little late, as I only learned of this sad news today, but on August 31, SummitPoster Edward Woo (http://www.summitpost.org/user_page.php?user_id=54013) died while on a climb of Gerlach, the highest point in Slovakia. Here is the report (in Slovak) from the rescue team: http://www.hzs.sk/?lang=sk&site=archivsprav&id=1528, with a rough translation I grabbed from Edward's facebook:
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31.8.3010. Záchranná akcia na Gerlachovskom štíte
Rescue action on the Gerlach peak
Monday evening about 9 PM the operating centre of the Mountain Rescue got an
emergency call from one of two English tourists. They had started their trip at
8:00 in the morning from Popradské pleso athough this departure time is very
late for such a climb and the weather forecast was very unfavourable. Both of
these important factors were ignored and they lost their way during the descent
of Gerlach peak and found themselves on the 600 m high south face of the mountain.
Based on the informations they got, a group of rescuers went to the terrain and yet before
midnight they got a light contact, which was lost in a while. Work of the rescuers
was hardened by the very inappropriate weather, because it was snowing during the night
and the wind was blowing 10m/s, the temperature was -4°C, feeling like -10°C. Rescuers
searched through the south face of Gerlach peak and they managed to find the tourists in the
moring hours. They were in critical condition due to strong hypothermia. Rescuers warmed them and
gave the necessary aid. A second group of rescuers went to the terrain to join the action and
change the night group in which some were already freezing and very exhausted. The rescuing
action took all night and all day, complicated by the weather and on some main places more
than 1 m fresh snow, which can be avalanchous. Further forecast of the weather is still very
unfavourable, a strong artic wind is blowing added to the many snow, which makes the whole
action worse and worse. Unfortunately, despite the maximal efforts, due to the bad weather
conditions the rescuers did not manage to save the tourists. Transportation of them is to be
continued as the weather and snow condiditions improve.
----
I climbed with Edward in Europe for a few days this past summer and he was a great guy. Sad to see him go like this. RIP.
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31.8.3010. Záchranná akcia na Gerlachovskom štíte
Rescue action on the Gerlach peak
Monday evening about 9 PM the operating centre of the Mountain Rescue got an
emergency call from one of two English tourists. They had started their trip at
8:00 in the morning from Popradské pleso athough this departure time is very
late for such a climb and the weather forecast was very unfavourable. Both of
these important factors were ignored and they lost their way during the descent
of Gerlach peak and found themselves on the 600 m high south face of the mountain.
Based on the informations they got, a group of rescuers went to the terrain and yet before
midnight they got a light contact, which was lost in a while. Work of the rescuers
was hardened by the very inappropriate weather, because it was snowing during the night
and the wind was blowing 10m/s, the temperature was -4°C, feeling like -10°C. Rescuers
searched through the south face of Gerlach peak and they managed to find the tourists in the
moring hours. They were in critical condition due to strong hypothermia. Rescuers warmed them and
gave the necessary aid. A second group of rescuers went to the terrain to join the action and
change the night group in which some were already freezing and very exhausted. The rescuing
action took all night and all day, complicated by the weather and on some main places more
than 1 m fresh snow, which can be avalanchous. Further forecast of the weather is still very
unfavourable, a strong artic wind is blowing added to the many snow, which makes the whole
action worse and worse. Unfortunately, despite the maximal efforts, due to the bad weather
conditions the rescuers did not manage to save the tourists. Transportation of them is to be
continued as the weather and snow condiditions improve.
----
I climbed with Edward in Europe for a few days this past summer and he was a great guy. Sad to see him go like this. RIP.