Tragic weekend in the Tatra Mountains. Two victims of difficult conditions in the Polish mountains

Two fatal incidents occurred on the Polish side of the Tatra Mountains over the weekend. On Saturday morning, one of the Lithuanian tourists who got lost on the trail died due to extreme hypothermia. On the same day, the services received a report about the body of a tourist located near Kazalnica Mięguszowiecka. The man most likely did not survive the fall from a height. The park authorities once again warn against mountain trips. There are still very difficult conditions for tourism in the Tatra Mountains.

Two tourists died in the Tatra Mountains

Two independent tragedies occurred on the Tatra trails last weekend. The first one started on Friday evening, when rescuers from the Tatra Volunteer Emergency Service received two alarm calls from three Lithuanian tourists. The first call concerned two women who got lost on the route, but the services were able to determine their location thanks to the GPS receiver they had. The third Lithuanian citizen, traveling alone and independently of the group, was unable to provide her location due to poor knowledge of the area. Communication was also hampered by gusty winds – there was foehn wind in the mountains throughout the weekend, as well as heavy rainfall, which later turned into snow. “The conversation showed that the tourist was in Zawrat and continued along the red trail (the trail to Świnica or Kozia Przełęcz). Unfortunately, she could not determine which direction she went,” said the statement published on the association’s official profile.

Two women moving together were found. The rescuers started bringing the Lithuanian women towards Świnicka Przełęcz. The condition of one of them deteriorated so much that helicopter assistance was necessary. Unfortunately, the woman traveling alone did not survive the expedition. Despite the action carried out by 44 rescuers, the unconscious and hypothermic Lithuanian woman was found on the trail on the Liliowe Pass only at 4:20 on Saturday morning. “The tourist, in a state of deep hypothermia, was transported by an LPR helicopter to a hospital in Krakow, where she unfortunately died after a few hours of fighting for her life,” we read.

The same morning, TOPR members received another report, this time regarding the discovery of a body by another tourist. The body of a man who most likely fell from a height was found on the green trail towards Kazalnica Mięguszowiecka.

Appeal to tourists

Let us remind you that even before the weekend, the conditions in the highest Polish mountains were so difficult that the authorities of the Tatra National Park decided to temporarily suspend ticket sales. It doesn’t look like the weather in the mountains will change any time soon. “Currently, there are difficult conditions for tourism in the Tatra Mountains. The higher parts of the Tatra Mountains are covered with a thin layer of ice and snow. Low temperatures forecast for the next few days. We appeal to you to choose your goals wisely and not to overestimate your skills,” ask TOPR employees.