Rescue operation races to reach double Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier after ‘serious' injury in climbing accident
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Rescue efforts to reach Laura Dahlmeier continued on Wednesday morning after the double Olympic gold medalist sustained 'serious injuries' while climbing a peak in northern Pakistan, according to her team.
The retired German biathlete was struck by falling rocks at around midday local time on Monday while climbing Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountain range, her team said on Instagram.
As of Wednesday morning, rescuers – who included local mountaineers and porters – were racing against time to reach Dahlmeier, according to Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government, per the Associated Press.
Due to low visibility and bad weather, the rescue operation had been unable to deploy its military helicopters, Faraq said, according to AP.
Dahlmeier's team said that the remoteness of the area meant that a rescue helicopter was only able to reach the scene of the accident and observe her on Tuesday morning.
The operation began on Monday when Dahlmeier's climbing partner, Marina Eva, sent out a distress signal. Rescuers were able to help Eva descend the peak on Tuesday.
The rescue team plans to bring Dahlmeier to the city of Skardu, Faraq said, per AP.
'There is still no clarity on her condition,' Karrar Haidri – Vice President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan – told AP. 'She sustained serious injuries, but she has oxygen with her, and injured climbers have been known to survive for days.
'With heavy clouds choking the sky and rain falling on the high slopes of Laila Peak, rescuers are pushing through dangerous terrain to reach her,' he added.
Dahlmeier, who is 31, made history at the 2018 Winter Olympics when she became the female biathlete ever to win gold in both the sprint and pursuit events at the same Winter Games.
That success came a year after she became the first biathlete to win five gold medals at a single world championship.
She retired from the sport in 2019 at the age of 25.
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