Sudden Hailstorm Forces Austrian Climbers to Call for Rescue

A 51-year-old woman from Vienna and her 15-year-old son were caught in a sudden hailstorm while climbing the Senza Confini via ferrata on Mount Cellon in the Carnic Alps. The weather in the mountains can change rapidly, and thunderstorms pose a serious risk, especially on via ferratas. When the hailstorm struck, the woman and her son were unable to continue their climb and decided to call for help. Fifteen mountain rescuers from the Kötschach-Mauthen station were dispatched to the scene. However, the climbers were not initially visible. A police helicopter was called in, and it located the two climbers at the exit point of the via ferrata. The woman and her son had continued their climb after the weather improved. Three mountain rescuers were flown by helicopter to the climbers and safely escorted them back to the starting point of their climb, both unharmed.