Morskie Oko in the Polish Tatra mountains. Photo: wikimedia/cc/Op
During the summer season, three people died, TOPR rescuer Adam Marasek said.
“Throughout the whole holiday season the weather was not favourable for highland trekking,” Marasek told the PAP news agency, adding that “rainy days were in the majority, and towards the end of August, recorded temperatures on mountain peaks plunged to zero degrees Celsius.”
“Under such conditions, we were called out almost every day,” Marasek said. Rescuers were mostly called out to incidents in which tourists had broken hands or legs.
Additionally, a police helicopter assisted in the TOPR rescue operations over 70 times.
According to rescuers, the most common cause of accidents in the Tatra mountains happen as a result of a lack of tourists’ responsibility and unpreparedness for highland hikes.
“Tourists often go into the mountains without any itinerary and they don’t even know where they’re going,” Marasek underlined, adding that tourists often go on walks without the appropriate attire.
The Tatra National Park estimates that during the holiday season, over a million tourists visited the Tatra mountains, with the busiest time of the season being the long weekend of 15-17 August, when around 76,000 people entered the park. (jb)
Tatra rescuers tally up holiday season
Since the beginning of the holiday season, mountain rescuers in the Tatra highlands were called out 158 times, rescuing a total of 189 people.
During the summer season, three people died, TOPR rescuer Adam Marasek said.
“Throughout the whole holiday season the weather was not favourable for highland trekking,” Marasek told the PAP news agency, adding that “rainy days were in the majority, and towards the end of August, recorded temperatures on mountain peaks plunged to zero degrees Celsius.”
“Under such conditions, we were called out almost every day,” Marasek said. Rescuers were mostly called out to incidents in which tourists had broken hands or legs. Additionally, a police helicopter assisted in the TOPR rescue operations over 70 times.
According to rescuers, the most common cause of accidents in the Tatra mountains happen as a result of a lack of tourists’ responsibility and unpreparedness for highland hikes.
“Tourists often go into the mountains without any itinerary and they don’t even know where they’re going,” Marasek underlined, adding that tourists often go on walks without the appropriate attire.
The Tatra National Park estimates that during the holiday season, over a million tourists visited the Tatra mountains, with the busiest time of the season being the long weekend of 15-17 August, when around 76,000 people entered the park.