Avalanche in Italy's Dolomite Mountains Claims Five Lives, Including Father and Daughter
In a tragic turn of events, five German climbers have lost their lives after being caught in an avalanche in the Dolomite mountains of Italy on Saturday. The victims include a 17-year-old girl and her father, who were swept away by the fast-moving snow while scaling Cima Vertana in the Ortler Alps.
The incident occurred at around 16:00 local time when a group of three people was fully swept away by the avalanche, resulting in all fatalities. However, two other climbers from a separate party managed to survive the ordeal and alerted authorities, triggering the rescue operation.
Rescue efforts were initially suspended due to poor weather conditions, but improved visibility allowed for a successful search-and-rescue operation. The bodies of the three deceased individuals were recovered on Saturday afternoon, while those of the father and daughter were found later that morning.
According to Olaf Reinstadler, spokesperson for the Sulden Mountain Rescue Service, the avalanche could have been caused by recent snow drifts which had not bonded to the ice below. He also questioned why the mountaineers were climbing late in the afternoon, as the descent would have taken until nightfall.
The incident serves as a sobering reminder of the risks involved in extreme sports and the importance of adhering to safety guidelines and regulations. The Alpine rescue service has launched an investigation into the cause of the avalanche to determine how it could be prevented in the future.
In a tragic turn of events, five German climbers have lost their lives after being caught in an avalanche in the Dolomite mountains of Italy on Saturday. The victims include a 17-year-old girl and her father, who were swept away by the fast-moving snow while scaling Cima Vertana in the Ortler Alps.
The incident occurred at around 16:00 local time when a group of three people was fully swept away by the avalanche, resulting in all fatalities. However, two other climbers from a separate party managed to survive the ordeal and alerted authorities, triggering the rescue operation.
Rescue efforts were initially suspended due to poor weather conditions, but improved visibility allowed for a successful search-and-rescue operation. The bodies of the three deceased individuals were recovered on Saturday afternoon, while those of the father and daughter were found later that morning.
According to Olaf Reinstadler, spokesperson for the Sulden Mountain Rescue Service, the avalanche could have been caused by recent snow drifts which had not bonded to the ice below. He also questioned why the mountaineers were climbing late in the afternoon, as the descent would have taken until nightfall.
The incident serves as a sobering reminder of the risks involved in extreme sports and the importance of adhering to safety guidelines and regulations. The Alpine rescue service has launched an investigation into the cause of the avalanche to determine how it could be prevented in the future.
... five lives lost already in 2025? can't believe a 17-yr-old girl was among them, and her dad too... poor family 
doesn't make sense to me
. hopefully the investigation can find out what went wrong and prevent similar incidents in the future 
i feel bad for that fam lol who climbs at 4 pm in the afternoon tho? dont get me wrong, they prob had good gear and all, but still shouldn'tve been out there when its getting dark 
the italian dolomites are beautiful, but the mountains can be super unforgiving too. i hope the authorities find out whats gonna keep stuff like this from happening in the future 
. Like, what even is the point of climbing that late in the day? You gotta think about the weather and the risk of avalanches... I mean, I know some people are super experienced and all that, but it's just not worth the gamble, you know? And these young kids, 17 and her dad... five lives lost 
just reading about this avalanche in dolomites is giving me goosebumps can you even imagine being caught in something like that? 
i'm so sorry for the fam who lost their lives, especially the dad and daughter combo that's just devastating 
safety first, people! let's make sure we're respecting those who came before us and the mountains aren't a playground 
i'm literally shaking just thinking about it 
17 years old just growing up and now she's gone. and her dad too, that's like, a whole lifetime of memories lost in an instant... what were they doing out there climbing anyway? shouldn't it have been avoided if the mountain rescue service had to investigate because of the afternoon climb timing? 
. And what about those recent snow drifts not bonding to the ice below? could've been avoided if people were more careful... but I guess that's just part of the risk. anyway, hope the Alpine rescue service can figure out what went wrong and take steps to prevent it from happening again 
, shouldn't be climbing in the afternoon, especially when it's still light outside 
. Safety first 
, you know? Poor people who survived must've been traumatized 
. Gotta be super careful in those mountains 
...
. Anyway, I hope their families can find some peace and that this tragedy can serve as a lesson to others.
. I HOPE THE INVESTIGATION GETS TO THE BOTTOM OF WHAT HAPPENED SO THAT OTHERS CAN LEARN FROM IT 
Just another day, more people losing their lives to Mother Nature's fury. Can't help but think, why do people still climb in the afternoon? 
safety first, always! 
hope they can find some closure from this terrible accident 
That's just asking for trouble. And now not only them but also a dad and his kid get buried under the snow. It's just so tragic 
But I guess we're all too busy trying to break records and stuff like that.
. At least they got to recover everyone in the end but still... so sad 
It's not just the climbers who are affected, but also the rescuers who risk their lives to save others.
I'm just glad that two people survived, but five... five is just devastating 
.