Dutch mountaineer dies in Silvretta Alps on Swiss-Austrian border

A Dutch alpinist died in a fall on the Silvrettahorn in eastern Switzerland on Friday. The 69-year-old was accompanied by a 60-year-old Dutchman on his descent from the summit when he slipped while traversing a snow flank. The mountaineer then slid down the snowfield, according to a statement from the Graubünden cantonal police on Saturday. He then fell 200 metres down a rock face. His mountain companion immediately notified mountain rescuers. Do you want to read our weekly top stories? Subscribe here. However, the fallen alpinist suffered fatal injuries and had to be rescued with the help of a winch. The two mountaineers had climbed from Austria to the summit of the 3,243 metre-high Silvrettahorn on the Swiss-Austrian border in the morning. After midday, they set off on their descent. + Higher proportion of foreigners die in Swiss Alps The cantonal police and the Graubünden public prosecutor's office have launched an investigation into the incident. Translated from German by ...