As reported by the Karkonosze Group of the Mountain Rescue Service (GOPR):

Yesterday, January 30, rescuers from the Karkonosze GOPR Group conducted a rescue operation on the northern slopes of Śnieżka, in the area known as the Death Gully.

At 2:10 p.m., the duty rescuer received a report of an accident—in which a group of tourists had slid down the slope toward the Łomniczka Cirque. A team of eight rescuers on duty at the rescue station in Karpacz was dispatched to the scene.

The accident report did not clearly indicate how many people had been involved, and this information could not be confirmed until the operation was completed.
At the scene, rescuers ultimately found the bodies of two people who had died as a result of a fall from approximately 900 metres. They had fallen from the very summit of Śnieżka to the bottom of the Łomniczka Cirque. The area was thoroughly searched, and the involvement of any additional people in the incident was ruled out.

The victims of the fatal accident were Polish citizens, men aged 23 and 47.

The bodies were recovered from the bottom of the cirque using rope techniques and then transported to Karpacz. The rescue operation ended at 9:30 p.m. It involved 22 GOPR rescuers, four rescuers from Horská služba Krkonoše / Czech Mountain Rescue from the Czech Republic, six soldiers from the Special Forces Unit, one Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopter and two Czech helicopters. Karpacz Ski Arena also assisted GOPR by making a snow groomer available to transport additional rescuers to Dom Śląski.

Due to the recent conditions—sunshine and rising daytime temperatures combined with nighttime frosts—very difficult conditions prevail in the Karkonosze Mountains because of extreme icing. We remind you once again that before heading into the mountains, you should ensure you have appropriate equipment—at present, microspikes or crampons are mandatory equipment.

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Tragedy in the Karkonosze Mountains. Two people dead