Drone rescue in Dornbirn: Mann in mountainous spectacular saved!

Drone rescue in Dornbirn: Mann in mountainous spectacular saved!

Breitenberg, Dornbirn, Österreich - On April 13, 2025, a 42-year-old Romanian citizen came into an emergency at the Breitenberg in Dornbirn. The man had only declared a call for help, attracted passers -by and finally informed the emergency services. Due to the extreme conditions and the steep rock wall, on which it hung about 300 meters above the ground, conventional recovery was not possible. A drone was used in this critical situation to localize the man. The Dornbirn fire brigade coordinated this modern rescue operation, supported by the Swiss rescue air stay Rega, which was quickly called for help.

After the successful localization, the man was saved with a helicopter. He was then brought to the Dornbirn hospital, where it was found that he was heavily hypothermic and suffered from muscle cramps. He was slightly alcoholized and apparently wanted to "try mountaineering". A total of 14 members of the mountain rescue, 6 firefighters, 4 Rega employees, 2 paramedics from the Austrian Red Cross and 4 police officers were involved in the mission. The coordination of the campaign of the State Police Directorate Vorarlberg.

drones in the mountain rescue

The use of drones as in this case is increasingly being used in the Alpine region to make rescue operations more efficient. This technology has become more important in recent years, with the EU Drone Ordinance in all EU member states since January 1, 2021. Drones are divided into five risk classes (C0 to C4), and an EU drone driving license is required from a weight of 250 grams. Professional drones, which are often equipped with high -resolution cameras and thermal imaging technology, provide the emergency services an overview of the situation and the detection of danger spots, especially in difficult terrain and under poor visual conditions.

These developments are particularly relevant because the popularity of mountain activities such as hiking and skiing in Austria attracts thousands of people every year. However, the high number of tourists also leads to an increase in high alpine rescue operations, which are often necessary when hikers get lost or get into avalanches. In this context, drones can not only be life -saving, but also minimize the risk of mountain rescuers that often get into dangerous situations.

regulations and challenges

Despite the advantages of the drone use in mountain rescue, there are also limits and challenges. The use is controversial because different opinions from hobby pilots and filmmakers exist. The registration obligation and the various regulative requirements apply to the use of drones are additional considerations that must be taken into account. Strict regulations must be observed in particular in nature reserves, and in some ski areas, drones are fully prohibited for security reasons.

Overall, the recent incident on the Breitenberg impressively shows how modern technology can help in critical situations and what role drones play in mountain rescue. They not only offer valuable support for the emergency services, but also increase security for mountain athletes.