Two days after the serious mountaineering accident of German Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier in Pakistan, her management announced the 31-year-old's death. The management announced on Wednesday that it is assumed that the former professional athlete had already been dead since Monday, when she was struck by a rockfall on the 6,000-meter-high Laila Peak in the Karakoram Mountains.
The recovery of the body at an altitude of around 5,700 meters was not possible due to the "currently prevailing difficult conditions with rockfall and a change in the weather on Laila Peak," the management continued in its written statement. It was Dahlmeier's "express and written will" that "in a case like this, no one should risk their life to rescue her" and that her body "should be left behind on the mountain in this case," the statement continued. This was also in the best interests of her relatives.
German biathlon legend Laura Dahlmeier was seriously injured by a rockfall during a mountaineering expedition. The accident occurred on Monday around midday at an altitude of 5,700 meters, according to a statement from her team posted on her official social media accounts.
Authorities confirmed that helicopter evacuation is not possible due to the extreme altitude and treacherous weather conditions. Areeb Ahmed Mukhtar, a senior official in the Ghanche district, said, “The conditions at the altitude where she was injured are extremely challenging, and a team of foreign climbers launched a ground rescue mission today.” The ground team comprises four climbers, three Americans and one German, coordinated by Shipton Trek & Tours Pakistan, which organized the expedition.
Dahlmeier, 31, was reportedly struck by falling rocks. Her climbing partner managed to alert rescuers after reaching safety, but access to the site remains highly dangerous due to the threat of further rockfalls and the mountain's remoteness.
A reconnaissance helicopter flight confirmed that the mountaineer is seriously injured. Muhammad Ali from the local disaster management office said the region has experienced extremely harsh weather over the past week, with persistent rain, high winds, and dense clouds complicating rescue efforts.
Dahlmeier, a highly experienced mountaineer, had been in Pakistan since late June and had already successfully ascended the Great Trango Tower before attempting Laila Peak. She is also a certified mountain and ski guide, as well as an active member of the mountain rescue.
Before her mountaineering career, Dahlmeier earned seven world championship gold medals in biathlon. At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, she made history by becoming the first female biathlete to win both the sprint and the pursuit at the same Games. She retired from professional sports in 2019 and later became a commentator for German broadcaster ZDF.
The International Biathlon Union expressed concern, stating they are “thinking of Dahlmeier and her family, hoping for good news to emerge soon.”
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