German Olympic biathlete and two-time gold medalist Laura Dahlmeier was at least “seriously injured” in a scary mountaineering accident in Pakistan on Monday, according to reports, and a rescue team of emergency responders have been unable to reach her as of Tuesday morning.
A helicopter flight over the site determined Dahlmeier, 31, was at minimum “seriously injured,” according to German broadcaster ZDF, and no signs of life were detected.
Faizullah Faraq, a spokesperson for the Pakistan government, said Dahlmeier “was taken away by locals from the landslide site,” according to Reuters.
“Laura Dahlmeier was climbing with her mountaineering partner on 28 July when she was caught in a rockfall. The accident took place around noon local time at an altitude of approximately 5,700 metres [18,700 feet],” Dahlmeier’s management team said in a statement to German broadcasting network ZDF.
“Her partner immediately called emergency services, and a rescue operation began immediately. Due to the remoteness of the area, a helicopter was only able to reach the site of the accident on the morning of 29 July.”
The incident occurred in the Karakorum mountains in northern Pakistan.
Dahlmeier retired from competition in 2019 at the age of 25, shortly after winning both of her Olympic gold medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
There, she triumphed in the 7.5km sprint and 10km pursuit, becoming the first female biathlete to win a sprint and pursuit double at the same Olympics.
She also captured a bronze medal in the 15km individual event at those Olympics, and notched 15 gold medals (including seven gold) at the World Championships throughout her career.
Dahlmeier said in a statement upon her 2019 retirement: “After an unbelievably tough season with lots of highs and lows I no longer feel the 100 percent passion that is needed for professional sports. This is why after some long thought I decided to end my active biathlon career.”
Following her retirement, she co-authored a German children’ s book with a title that translates to “The Climate Gang: Laura Dahlmeier and friends working for nature,” and she also served as a commentator for ZDF during the 2019-20 Biathlon World Cup season.