Mountain accident in Pakistan: Concern for former biathlon star Dahlmeier

"Laura Dahlmeier was alpine-style climbing with her climbing partner on July 28th when she was struck by rockfall. The accident occurred around noon local time at an altitude of approximately 5,700 meters," the management of the 31-year-old former biathlete told ZDF: "The climbing partner immediately called emergency services, and the rescue operation was initiated immediately." Due to the "remoteness of the area," a rescue helicopter only arrived over the accident site on Tuesday morning. No signs of life were detected. An international mountain rescue team is currently coordinating the rescue operation, with support from experienced international mountaineers in the region.

High risk of rockfall in the Karakoram

Dahlmeier and her climbing partner were on an expedition to the 6,069-meter-high Laila Peak, a beautifully formed but extremely steep pyramid of rock and stone in the Karakoram. The climbing season is currently underway there. Expeditions attempting Pakistan's five eight-thousanders this summer reported extremely dry and unusually warm weather in the region, leading to an increased risk of rockfall.

Double Olympic victory in Pyeongchang

With two Olympic gold medals at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and a total of seven World Championship titles, Dahlmeier was the most successful German biathlete of the past decade. At the 2017 World Championships in Hochfilzen, Austria, she won five gold medals and one silver medal in six starts. That same year, she also secured the overall Biathlon World Cup title and was later named Germany's "Sportswoman of the Year." In May 2019 , Dahlmeier unexpectedly ended her competitive career at the age of 25 .

State-certified mountain guide with expedition experience

She then trained as a mountain and ski guide, completing her training in 2023. She also worked as a mountain rescuer around her hometown of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria. She had already been on several expeditions in recent years.

In the fall of 2024, she climbed the shapely six-thousander Ama Dablam in Nepal at breakneck speed. The ascent from base camp to the summit at 6,814 meters and back took her just over twelve hours – no woman had climbed this mountain as quickly before. In 2023, she climbed her first seven-thousander, Peak Korzhenevskaya in Tajikistan.