Memorial Ceremony at Okrešlj

This year marks 10 years since five mountain rescuers were fatally injured during training on the ridge of Turska gora. We paid tribute to them and to all fatally injured rescuers with a memorial ceremony held at the memorial on Okrešlj on Saturday, 9 June 2007. It was organised by the Bohinj Mountain Rescue Association in cooperation with the Police. Around 300 people attended.
The Holy Mass was celebrated by parish priest Ivan Jagodic from Srednja vas pri Bohinju. The gathering was first addressed by Miro Pogačar, president of the Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia. He said that among those present were some who had been at the scene of the accident ten years ago. “Mountain rescue is like an addiction; once you feel that you have helped a person, perhaps even saved their life, it is hard to forget. When the victims left us, the lives of their closest ones changed. The pain has eased over ten years, but the memory has not. This event also contributed to later organisational changes.” At the end, he thanked those who had organised the ceremony and wished everyone safe steps in the mountains.
Next, Rudolf Skobe, vice-president of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, addressed those present. He thanked them for the large turnout and all mountain rescuers for their selfless work. The last speaker was Jože Romšek, Director General of the Police. On behalf of the Minister of the Interior, he greeted the participants. He said “what was on his heart, namely: memory and secondly: warning. Apart from the First World War, there has been no worse accident in history than the one at Okrešlj. Slovenian police officers work professionally and correctly, follow all instructions and try to take care of themselves. Everyone who goes to the mountains must take care of themselves, be mentally and physically prepared and always think about what will happen if something goes wrong.”  At the end, he asked for a minute of silence.

This was followed by a cultural programme in which Samo Gardener and Klemen Langus, members of the Bohinjska Bistrica Theatre, read excerpts from the books by Jani Kokalj Trenutki and Marijan Lipovšek Steze, smučišča in skale, the France Urbanc male choir sang, and the brass bands of Bohinj and the Police played.

At the end, wreaths were laid at the monument by delegations from the Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia and the Police.

Source: www.grzs.si