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Complicated recoveryHiker dies in Falkensteiner Cave after medical emergency
Any help comes too late.
The Falkensteiner Cave, which is popular with hikers, is a good 30 kilometers southeast of Stuttgart. The impassable terrain was fatal for a man on Friday (May 1st).
Hiker dies in Falkensteiner Cave – cave rescuers can no longer do anything
After a medical emergency in a difficult-to-access cave in the Swabian Alb, experts from the police, mountain rescue services and rescue services were on large-scale operations. A police spokesman confirmed that one man was seriously injured. Accordingly, a group was located around one kilometer inside the Falkensteiner Cave in Grabenstetten in the Reutlingen district.
In the afternoon the sad news came: Any help came too late, the man died after a medical emergency.
Video tip: Caver has to be rescued from a depth of 1,000 meters
Rescue workers treated the injured man on site. “The operation is extremely complicated because there is no radio reception inside the cave,” said a police spokesman. In addition, the cave in Grabenstetten in the Reutlingen district can only be reached on foot over rough terrain. That makes it more difficult to use.
In addition, according to the mayor of Grabenstetten, Patrick Docimo, the now deceased man and a group were already around 1,300 meters deep in the cave when the emergency occurred. According to Mayor Docimo, it will take hours to recover the body. The man's companions and the tour guides have now been able to leave the Falkensteiner Cave.
Reading tip: Researcher (32) is stuck in the cave with serious injuries
In addition to the mountain rescue service, fire brigade, rescue service and police, specialized cave rescuers from several districts supported the measures. The rescue operation lasted several hours.
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Area known for its caves
The Swabian Alb is known for its caves – the Falkensteiner Cave is particularly popular. The entrance to the cave looks like a chasm in a stone wall; the kilometer-wide interior is pitch black, winding and wet. Because the cave is an “active water cave” from which the Elsach River rises into the open air.
According to the city administration, it is a so-called wild cave. Since 2018, access to the Falkensteiner Cave has been officially prohibited due to the risk of sudden flooding and is only possible with special permission from the municipality of Grabenstetten.
Reminder of other use
The Falkensteiner Cave is not the first time the scene of a major rescue operation. Most recently, last May, two men were surprised and trapped by the water.
A rescue operation in the cave seven years ago made national headlines. In the summer of 2019, a guide and his customer were rescued from the cave. After heavy rain, they were stuck about 650 meters from the cave entrance because the way back was blocked by the strong rise in water in the cave. After 24 hours they could be taken out of the cave. (dpa/ajo/jka)
Sources used: dpa
