They move out when hikers or climbers injure themselves. In 2022, the mountain rescue service in the Harz mountains also helped other people.
Thale/Magdeburg (dpa/sa) – The Harz Mountain Rescue Service of the German Red Cross in Saxony-Anhalt went out on 129 missions last year. The DRK in Magdeburg announced that the members had provided medical help on the premises 87 times. In 58 cases, for example, hikers and mountaineers were helped, 15 times cyclists and in 9 cases people slipped on ice or snow and needed help. The mountain rescuers also completed 4 searches for missing persons – in all cases the people were found.
In the previous two years, the mountain rescue service had completed around 100 operations. However, the time was marked by corona-related restrictions.
The mountain rescuers are increasingly preparing not only to come to those in need on foot or in vehicles. Since last year, after flight training with the state police, there have also been trained air rescuers, as Frank Engelmann from the DRK said. The rescue from the air has two main advantages: You can reach the patient much faster and you can save them and bring them to the hospital faster.
The mountain rescue service is not just about helping the injured and missing, the men and women also built emergency accommodation for Ukrainian refugees in an old terminal in Berlin-Schoenefeld over nine days. In addition, there were 19 medical security services, where events such as Walpurgis celebrations or sports events were secured, Engelmann explained.
The original core mission of the mountain rescue service, environmental protection and nature conservation, continues to be an important part of the work. The activists secured natural areas such as the Bodetal, where a particularly large amount of wood was washed ashore in 2022, or they checked whether hikers stayed on the paths. In view of the dwindling number of trees in the national park, new trails are emerging, Engelmann said – but they are not permitted in a national park.
The Harz Mountain Rescue Service of the DRK in Saxony-Anhalt currently has 186 members, 47 women and 139 men – they are all volunteers. 49 emergency services are fully trained and actively on duty, and according to Engelmann, 9 will be added in the foreseeable future. In addition, 26 members have been trained as air rescuers, 10 of whom have completed real flight training. Training will continue this year as well.
