German Olympian Laura Dahlmeier injured on Lela Peak

GILGIT: Two-time Olympic biathlon gold medallist Laura Dahlmeier of Germany has suffered a severe accident during her expedition on Lela Peak (6096m) in the Hushe Valley of Ghanche district in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Her tour organizer, Muhammad Iqbal, Managing Director of Shipton Treks and Tours, told HUM News English that Laura and her climbing partner Marina Eva from Germany were at a height of 5,700 meters around 12:30pm on Monday when a falling rock struck them, severely injuring Laura. Marina remained unhurt.

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Iqbal said Marina managed to descend to Camp 1 and informed the Basecamp about the accident. He said an Askari Aviation helicopter launched a search operation on Tuesday; however, it couldn’t find a landing spot. “The helicopter managed to spot Laura, but her condition is unknown,” he added.

The tour manager said three American climbers, Marina, and another German climber are waiting at the Basecamp and assessing the situation to decide the future course of action.

“The situation at the peak is unfavorable as continuous rockfall is happening,” he added.

A spokesperson for the G-B government Faizullah Faraq, in a statement, said that Chief Minister  Haji Gulbar Khan has directed relevant authorities to rescue the German climbers.

“The rescue operation for the German climbers is ongoing with the support of the Pakistan Army. Ahelicopter is ready at the site for the rescue, but the operation is currently delayed due to bad weather,” he added.

According to the International Olympic Committee, Dahlmeier won two Olympic biathlon gold medals at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games, triumphing in both the 7.5km sprint and 10km pursuit events. She also earned a bronze medal in the 15km individual event at those Games. The 31-year-old owns 15 World Championship medals, including seven gold. Dahlmeier announced her retirement from competitive biathlon in May 2019 at the age of 25.