36 people, including several young children, were rescued Sunday, August 9, 2026, after a family hike above Sölden, Austria, turned into an alpine emergency when the group left the marked trail and became stranded in difficult terrain. The incident occurred in the Sonnberg area at an elevation of approximately 2,325 meters (7,628 feet).
The group, made up of three families from the UK, USA, and Belgium, included adults, teenagers and several toddlers in strollers. They had taken the Wildspitzbahn cable car up the mountain with plans to walk back down to Sölden. Instead, the group followed the wrong route while hiking northeast from the lift’s mountain station and gradually found themselves in increasingly difficult and exposed terrain.
At around 5:15 p.m., two members of the group called for emergency assistance after realizing they could no longer safely continue. The alarm triggered a major response from Mountain Rescue Sölden and two rescue helicopters. The group had repeatedly entered rough terrain during the hike and had partially left the marked trail. With several small children among the group, continuing through the exposed terrain posed a significant safety risk.
14 people, including the youngest children, were flown from the mountain by helicopter. The remaining 22 members of the group were escorted or assisted down the mountain on foot by mountain rescuers. No injuries were reported.
The rescue operation was complicated by the terrain, requiring helicopters to remove some members of the group directly from the area while rescuers guided the others safely back toward the valley.
The group had not intended to undertake a difficult alpine route. After riding the Wildspitzbahn to the mountain station, the families had planned a relatively simple hike back down the mountain. Their route choice, however, gradually led them away from the marked path and into exposed terrain.
The incident highlights how quickly an apparently straightforward mountain outing can become dangerous when hikers leave established trails and encounter terrain beyond their experience or equipment. According to rescue workers interviewed by local media, the group was not adequately equipped for the terrain they encountered. One rescuer reportedly described the suitability of their equipment as “equal to zero.”
Despite the precarious situation, all 36 members of the group were safely brought back to the valley, and no injuries were reported.
