German biathlete Dahlmeier dies in climbing accident in Pakistan
Dahlmeier, an Olympic gold medallist, was ascending Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountain range on Monday when she was struck by falling rocks while climbing with a partner who survived.
Rescuers were able to confirm Dahlmeier's death on Wednesday but not retrieve the body because of unfavourable weather, said Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government.
Any final decision on retrieving the body would follow the wishes of Dahlmeier's family, Faraq said. A statement on Dalhmeier's Instagram page said it had been her wish that nobody risk their life to recover her body after an accident.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier offered his condolences to Dahlmeier's parents, writing that she 'was an exceptional sportswoman.' He recalled that he presented her with the highest honour on German sport, the Silver Laurel Leaf, shortly after she won her first Olympic gold medal in 2018.
'Laura Dahlmeier was an ambassador for our country in the world, a role model for peaceful, cheerful and fair coexistence across borders,' he said.
Authorities launched the rescue mission on Monday after receiving a distress signal from Dahlmeier's climbing partner, Marina Eva, who managed to descend to base camp with help from rescuers on Tuesday. Dahlmeier's partner had tried for several hours to rescue her, but that wasn't possible because of the difficult terrain and persistent rockfall, the statement on Dahlmeier's Instagram page said. 'Her partner, who could no longer hear any signs of life, eventually decided to leave the danger zone and resume her descent,' according to the statement.
It was Dahlmeier's express wish 'that in a case like this, no one should risk their life to recover her,' the statement said, calling for that wish to be respected. It said Dahlmeier's family thank the rescue team and climbers, who did their best to make her rescue possible.
Bodies of foreign climbers who die attempting to summit mountains in Pakistan are typically recovered at the request of their families, but if the family declines a rescue, the remains are left at the spot where the climber died.
Agencies
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