- No police investigation after fatal rockfall in the Allgäu
No further police investigations following a fatal rockfall in the Allgäu region. A police spokesperson confirmed it was an accident with no one to blame. On Wednesday evening, a 38-year-old man was killed when struck by a falling rock. His wife, who was with him, was unharmed and received support from a crisis intervention team.
The couple was hiking near Oberstdorf, close to the German-Austrian border, when a storm uprooted a tree. The tree's trunk hit a roughly six-ton boulder, causing it to roll. The hiker managed to dodge the falling tree but was then struck and killed by the rock. Emergency services from the fire department and mountain rescue were unable to save him.
Why were the hikers out despite the weather warning?
The couple was on an official hiking trail, heading towards a car park. "This wasn't a classic rockfall," the police spokesperson said. Without the storm-toppled tree, the boulder likely wouldn't have moved. "It was like a chain reaction."
The couple's origin was not disclosed. Their reason for going into the mountains despite the severe weather warning remains unknown. The German Weather Service had repeatedly warned of severe weather with heavy rain and storms in the region, citing life-threatening risks from falling trees, lightning, and landslides.
Despite the severe weather warning with threats of falling trees, lightning, and landslides, the couple decided to ignore it and proceed with their hike. The Hurricane-like storm in the region uprooted a tree, setting off a chain reaction that ultimately led to the fatal rockfall.
