Laura Dahlmeier, a celebrated German biathlete and double Olympic gold winner, went missing following a mountaineering accident on Monday in Pakistan’s Karakoram range. The accident reportedly occurred at about 5,700 meters (18,700 feet) when she was hit by falling rocks. Rescue teams have struggled to reach her, and search operations were suspended Tuesday night due to low visibility but are expected to continue the next morning.
Her management confirmed to ZDF that she and her climbing partner were ascending alpine style on July 28 when struck by rockfall around noon local time. The partner immediately notified emergency responders.
Despite aerial searches, no evidence of Laura’s whereabouts was found so far. The Karakoram Mountains, in the Kashmiri region, are notably hazardous for climbers.
Dahlmeier retired in 2019 at just 25 after an impressive career including being the first female biathlete to win both sprint and pursuit at the same Winter Olympics.
The situation is ongoing, and we hope for positive news soon. Our thoughts are with Laura and her loved ones.
