Driver Survives Car Crash at Schlossalm in Bad Hofgastein

An approximately 60-year-old local driver escaped serious injury on Thursday afternoon when his vehicle plunged off a mountain road in the Brandbichl area near the reservoir on the Schlossalm in Bad Hofgastein. The car overturned during the fall, prompting an automated emergency alert via the eCall system.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find that the driver had already been reached and provided with initial medical care. He was subsequently transported by the Alpin Heli 6 rescue helicopter to a hospital for further treatment of his injuries.

Emergency Response and eCall Alert

The incident triggered an automatic response from the vehicle’s eCall safety system, notifying dispatchers of the crash near the storage pond on the Schlossalm. Local emergency crews were immediately dispatched to navigate the difficult terrain.

Photo: sn.at

When the initial advance team from the mountain rescue unit reached the wreck, the injured motorist was already situated inside the rescue helicopter. The operation involved 15 members of the Bad Hofgastein mountain rescue service, alongside the local volunteer fire department, police officers, and the flight crew, with all rescue activities concluding at approximately 18:00.

Assessment from Mountain Rescue

Officials noted that the motorist was fortunate to avoid a more catastrophic outcome given the severity of the accident site. Roman Brandstetter, operations leader for the Bad Hofgastein mountain rescue team, described the fortunate nature of the rescue.

“Der Fahrzeuglenker hatte angesichts des schweren Unfallhergangs durchaus Glück. Der Absturz hätte weitaus schlimmer ausgehen können,” Brandstetter stated, emphasizing that the vehicle plummet could easily have resulted in far graver consequences.