South Tyrol mountain rescue of German brothers
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Pustertal rescuers retrieved two German brothers, 13 and 16, at night from a closed hut above 2,300 meters.
The boys were severely hypothermic after their parents let them continue alone.
Background
The Bonnerhütte is a mountain refuge in South Tyrol, built in 1897 by the Bonn section of the Alpine Club, that had closed for the season a week before the hike. The Pustertal Mountain Rescue Service is the local team that carried out the nighttime operation. The story drew attention because the parents had let the two teenagers continue alone, reportedly believing them experienced enough, without apparently checking the hut's opening hours.
How it unfolded
- Oct 17, 2026The family's hike began from Dobbiaco/Toblach; the parents turned back after a few hours and let the boys, aged 13 and 16, continue on their own.
- Oct 20, 2026Around 1:00 a.m. the Pustertal Mountain Rescue Service received an emergency call and rescued the brothers at the Bonnerhütte above 2,300 meters; they were taken to hospital and have since been discharged.
- Oct 21, 2026Euronews and other outlets reported the rescue, describing the boys as abandoned by their parents and stranded in front of the locked refuge.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- A Pustertal Mountain Rescue Service spokesperson said the boys had climbed more than 1,000 meters in elevation and were severely hypothermic, with one of them vomiting.
- Public
- Dolomiten reported the boys wore hiking boots but not appropriate clothing, and that the parents had agreed to let them spend the night at the hut because they considered them experienced enough.