Young climber dies in accident in southern Germany

A 22-year-old climber has died after falling approximately 130 metres in a mountain accident in southern Germany, police said on Sunday. 

The incident occurred on Saturday in the Karwendel mountains near Mittenwald, close to the border with Austria.

Investigators believe a rock serving as a foothold for the climber broke away. The young man had climbed to a summit with a companion of the same age, mastering challenging and, in places, exposed sections of the route.

After abseiling down one pitch, he reportedly attempted to continue the descent on easier terrain without a rope. It was then that the rock broke away, causing the 22-year-old to fall some 130 metres over steep, rocky terrain.

When the mountain rescue team and an emergency doctor arrived by rescue helicopter, they could only confirm the young man’s death. According to reports, both men had been properly equipped for the planned tour.