The most common cause of injuries in the mountains remains slips. Numerous interventions could be prevented.
Calls for proper preparation amid rising number of mountain accidents
The number of mountain accidents has increased by 28 percent over the past five years. This year, mountain rescuers have carried out 410 interventions, 44 more than in the same period last year, including 170 helicopter rescues. Mountain rescuers are therefore again calling for caution.
Most rescues involved domestic hikers, but 44 percent were foreigners. This year there have been 27 fatalities from mountain accidents, compared to 21 in the same period last year and 37 for the whole of 2024, said mountain rescuer and air doctor Luka Camlek at today's press conference. This year too, it appears that the Bohinj and Tolmin mountain rescue services will handle the most interventions, he added.
The most common cause of injuries remains slips, followed by lack of terrain knowledge, inappropriate equipment, and physical and mental unpreparedness. Mountain rescuer and air doctor Iztok Tomazin said that injuries are mostly minor or moderate, such as sprains, wounds, and limb fractures, but there are also more illnesses, heart attacks and strokes, severe injuries where multiple organ systems are damaged and life is directly threatened.
They warn that numerous interventions could be prevented. Among those rescued, uninjured people predominate; this year, 179 uninjured people have been evacuated from the mountains. These mostly could not continue their route, were scared, or got lost due to lack of terrain knowledge.
Camlek advises that people heading to the mountains should know themselves well and assess what efforts they are capable of and their health condition. Preparation is also essential, including knowledge of the route and locations of huts offering refreshments, as well as estimated hiking time. "Preparation for the tour is simply part of that activity, which unfortunately many skip," he warned. They also recommend not going to the mountains alone and informing relatives about the planned tour.
Tomazin added that mental preparation and motivation are key. "In principle, it shouldn't be likes on social media, but other things," he said. It is also important to monitor the weather forecast. "No one who is seriously preparing for a mountaineering tour should really be surprised by the weather. Forecasts from some weather models are extremely accurate today," he added.
When a thunderstorm approaches, it is good to follow the 30-30 rule. This indicates that when there are about 30 seconds between lightning and thunder, the storm is about 10 kilometers away and shelter must be found and the tour not continued. Moreover, the tour should not be continued for at least 30 minutes after the storm, as lightning strikes are still possible during that time. In case of a thunderstorm, one must retreat from peaks, ridges, and exposed points and avoid power lines, poles, and via ferrata cables. The phone should also be protected before a lightning strike.
In case of a lightning strike on a person, immediate resuscitation with extended intervals of artificial respiration is essential. "Lightning often paralyzes the respiratory center, so during resuscitation, especially when performing artificial respiration, one must persist longer than general resuscitation recommendations," said Tomazin. Camlek added that in principle, the recommendations are to resuscitate until a professional team arrives or until we are exhausted.
The mountain rescuers also warned that mountain rescue could be organized more optimally. The operation of the Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia team, which currently operates for four months, should be extended to the whole year. "Currently, interventions in the mountains outside duty hours are carried out by a combined team of helicopter emergency medical assistance and mountain rescue association. This means that during the intervention, half of Slovenia has no helicopter emergency medical assistance," warned Camlek.
The team could also be better organized and activation time improved. According to Tomazin, the team composition is not optimal, as a policeman sits in the helicopter instead of a medical rescuer, and the doctor can only perform the most difficult interventions with the assistance of a medical rescuer. The activation time is not optimal because the rescuers are not in the same premises, and they also wish the helicopter base were closer to the mountains, for example at Lesce airport.
Source:
https://www.rtvslo.si/zabava-in-slog/ture-avanture/najpogostejsi-vzrok-poskodb-v-gorah-ostaja-zdrs-stevilne-intervencije-bi-se-dalo-prepreciti/754596