A tragic accident claimed the lives of two Polish men, aged 23 and 47 after they fell from Śnieżka Mountain to the bottom of the Kocioł Łomniczki (Łomniczka Kettle – ed.). Video capturing the horrifying moment of their fall into the abyss spread on social media.
The tragedy occurred on Tuesday, January 30th in the Karkonosze Mountains. The rescue operation involved four helicopters, including two air ambulance crews from Liberec and Hradec Kralove. Edyta Bagrowska, a spokesperson for the police command in Jelenia Góra, confirmed to the Polish Press Agency the deaths of the two individuals.
“The rescuers reported that they reached two people. Unfortunately, they are deceased,” the police officer stated. Ivo Novak, a spokesperson for the local Czech emergency medical services, mentioned that the two individuals died as a result of injuries sustained during their fall on the icy terrain.
According to the footage, the tourists slipped from Śnieżka down the so-called “death chute.”
The two men slid down what is known as the “death chute,” an icy slope on Śnieżka Mountain, which is exceptionally dangerous for climbers. “Jesus, what happened”; “Look, the second one,” “God!,” are heard in the video. It shows how one of the men slid down the icy slope and then disappeared. Subsequently, the other tourist found himself in a similar predicament. Whether they slipped or if one tried to help the other, resulting in both falling, remains unclear.
🇵🇱 Dwóch mężczyzn zginęło 30 stycznia w Karkonoszach. Dwóch Polaków, 23-latek i 47-latek spadli ze Śnieżki na dno Kotła Łomniczki.
— Dominik Serwacki 🇵🇱 ✍️ 🌍 (@DominikSerwacki) February 5, 2024
Mężczyźni zsunęli się tzw. „rynną śmierci”, czyli po lodowym zboczu Śnieżki, które jest wyjątkowo niebezpieczne dla wspinaczy. Portal… pic.twitter.com/XlYi87SqL9