German biathlete Laura Dahlmeier has died in a climbing accident in Pakistan, official says

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)

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- 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.

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.

By Riaz Khan And Munir Ahmed, The Associated Press

Ahmed reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.