German biathlete Laura Dahlmeier has died in a climbing accident in
Pakistan
[July 31, 2025]
By RIAZ KHAN and MUNIR AHMED
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — German biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier has
died on a mountain in northern Pakistan after a climbing accident at
remote site that rescuers struggled to reach because of bad weather, a
local government spokesman said Wednesday.
Dahlmeier, an Olympic gold medalist, was ascending Laila Peak in the
Karakoram mountain range on Monday when she was struck by falling rocks
while climbing with a partner who survived.
Rescuers were able to confirm Dahlmeier's death on Wednesday but not
retrieve the body because of unfavorable weather, said Faizullah Faraq,
a spokesman for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government.
Any final decision on retrieving the body would follow the wishes of
Dahlmeier’s family, Faraq said. A statement on Dalhmeier's Instagram
page said it had been her wish that nobody risk their life to recover
her body after an accident.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier offered his condolences to
Dahlmeier’s parents, writing that she “was an exceptional sportswoman.”
He recalled that he presented her with the highest honor on German
sport, the Silver Laurel Leaf, shortly after she won her first Olympic
gold medal in 2018.
“Laura Dahlmeier was an ambassador for our country in the world, a role
model for peaceful, cheerful and fair coexistence across borders,” he
said.
Authorities launched the rescue mission Monday after receiving a
distress signal from Dahlmeier’s climbing partner, Marina Eva, who
managed to descend to base camp with help from rescuers Tuesday.
Dahlmeier’s partner had tried for several hours to rescue her, but that
wasn’t possible because of the difficult terrain and persistent rockfall,
the statement on Dahlmeier's Instagram page said. “Her partner, who
could no longer hear any signs of life, eventually decided to leave the
danger zone and resume her descent,” according to the statement.
It was Dahlmeier’s express wish “that in a case like this, no one should
risk their life to recover her,” the statement said, calling for that
wish to be respected. It said Dahlmeier’s family thank the rescue team
and climbers, who did their best to make her rescue possible.
Bodies of foreign climbers who die attempting to summit mountains in
Pakistan are typically recovered at the request of their families, but
if the family declines a rescue, the remains are left at the spot where
the climber died.
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Women's 7.5km biathlon sprint gold medalist Laura Dahlmeier, of
Germany, celebrates during the medals ceremony at the 2018 Winter
Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Feb. 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Morry
Gash, File)
Dahlmeier was injured at an altitude of about 5,700 meters (18,700
feet) around noon Monday, according to her management team in
Germany.
Dahlmeier had been in the region with friends since the end of June.
The 6,069-meter Laila Peak was the second peak on her tour after she
climbed the 6,287-meter Great Trango Tower on July 8.
Military helicopters were on standby to assist in any rescue but
have been unable to deploy because of bad weather, Faraq said.
Climbers including two Americans have been attempting the same
ascent done by Dahlmeier to try to join the rescue operation, he
said.
Dahlmeier won seven gold, three silver and five bronze medals at
Biathlon World Championships, along with 20 World Cup races and the
overall World Cup in the 2016-17 season, according to her website.
She won gold medals in the sprint and pursuit races at the
Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018 and the bronze medal in the individual
competition.
Dahlmeier ended her biathlon career in 2019, when she was 25. She
grew up in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the German Alps and turned to
mountaineering challenges after ending her biathlon career. She had
been a state-certified mountain and ski guide since 2023 and
volunteered for the Garmisch-Partenkirchen mountain rescue team.
Hundreds of climbers try to scale mountains in northern Pakistan
every year and accidents are common because of avalanches and sudden
weather changes.
The region has also been battered by above-normal seasonal rains,
triggering flash floods and landslides. Since last week, at least 20
Pakistani tourists have been missing after floodwaters swept them
away near the northern district of Chilas.
___
Ahmed reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writer Geir Moulson
in Berlin contributed to this report.
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