Searching in the Gastein Valley: 88-year-old just goes home!

Searching in the Gastein Valley: 88-year-old just goes home!

Bad Hofgastein, Österreich - A dramatic incident in the Gastein Valley (Salzburg) took a surprising ending. The 88-year-old German, who has been missing since Sunday, December 22, 2024, was discovered by the police-hundreds of kilometers away, in his homeland in Germany. He was traveling with a tour group when he did not return to the agreed meeting point on Sunday, which led to an extensive search campaign in which around 80 emergency services of mountain and water rescue, the police and fire brigade were involved, such as Nachrichten. reported.

The older man said that he had missed the coach in Bad Hofgastein and therefore decided to use public transport to travel home independently. This happened without informing his tour group. Thanks to the intensive search measures, which also included volunteers with search dog teams, the helpers were able to breathe a sigh of relief when the news arrived that the pensioner had arrived at home unharmed. Gerhard Kremser, district manager of the mountain rescue in the Pongau, confirmed: "He went home by train", such as 5min.at

The big search had taken a few hours and started immediately after the man did not appear at the agreed meeting point. The events throw a light on the challenges and risks associated with group trips, especially for older travelers. While the pensioner returned safely, questions about communication within the tour group remained open.