The search for an injured mountaineer from Lower Saxony on the Hochkalter in the Berchtesgaden Alps continues. On Wednesday, after the weather had improved, a helicopter with several mountain rescuers rose, said Rudi Fendt from the mountain rescue service. The conditions are adverse because fresh snow has fallen again. The snow is about one and a half meters deep and there is no secure ground. Hopes of finding the 24-year-old alive are dwindling.

The man slipped on a mountain tour on Saturday and made an emergency call. Snowfall, strong winds and the risk of avalanches made it impossible for rescue teams to search for him on Tuesday. The mountain rescue service is optimistic that they will be able to continue the search on Thursday.

The mountain rescue service also used a so-called Recco buoy, which could locate semiconductors in electronic devices such as the 24-year-old's cell phone. The rescuers had the last contact with the casualty on Saturday, his emergency call had triggered a large-scale operation.