BERLIN (AP) — A 27-year-old woman died while snowshoeing in the Black Forest region of southwestern Germany after falling into a hole in deep snow and into a stream below, police said Monday.
Freiburg police said the accident occurred outside nearby Feldberg on Sunday afternoon when the woman was hiking with a 28-year-old friend.
She broke through a top layer of snow and fell into a deep hole and into the stream that flowed below, and was unable to free herself.
Ever more snow fell in on top of her and rescue teams were not able to dig her out for several hours, police said. She was brought to a hospital but died overnight.
Local broadcaster SWR reported there had been several avalanches after the accident that complicated the rescue efforts, and that the woman had lain under the snow in the water at the bottom of the three-meter (10-foot) deep hole until found.
A rescue helicopter was also unable to fly due to poor weather conditions and the darkness.
The woman’s companion was treated for shock but he was otherwise unharmed.
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
