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Efforts to recover the body of German Olympic biathlete Laura Dahlmeier, who died in a mountaineering accident in Pakistan, have been called off due to dangerous conditions, her management agency confirmed on Thursday.
Dahlmeier, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, was killed earlier this week after being struck by falling rocks while climbing Laila Peak in the Karakoram range. The fatal incident occurred at an altitude of approximately 5,700 metres (18,700 feet).
Her management said that, following consultations with the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the recovery operation was halted owing to the extreme risk involved. They added that her family would continue to monitor the situation and might consider a recovery attempt at a later stage, if conditions allow.
According to several of her close associates, Dahlmeier had previously expressed the wish that no attempt should be made to retrieve her body if it meant putting others in danger. German mountaineer Thomas Huber, who had been part of an attempted recovery team, told reporters on Thursday: “We have decided she should stay, because that was her wish.”
American climber Jackson Marvell, also involved in the rescue effort, told AFP it would be “disrespectful” to ignore her wishes. He acknowledged that recovery was technically possible but warned it involved “incredible risks” both on foot and by helicopter.
Dahlmeier’s climbing partner Marina Krauss, who witnessed the tragic accident, spoke emotionally at a press conference on Thursday. She recounted how Dahlmeier was struck by a large falling rock and thrown against a rock wall, after which she showed no signs of movement.
“I saw Laura being hit by a huge rock and then being thrown against the wall. And from that moment on, she didn’t move again,” Krauss said, adding that it was too dangerous for her to approach the site alone. “It was impossible for me to get there safely,” she explained. “It was clear to me the only way to help her was to call a helicopter. She didn’t move, she didn’t show any signs. I called out to her, but there was no response.”
Dahlmeier was one of Germany’s most celebrated winter athletes. She claimed seven world championship titles during her biathlon career and made history at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang by becoming the first woman to win both the sprint and pursuit events at a single Games. She retired from professional sport in 2019 at just 25 years old.
