Laura Dahlmeier, the German Olympic Champion, passed away at the age of 31 on July 28 in a climbing accident on Pakistan's Karakoram range's Laila Peak .
Dahlmeier was hit by an unexpected rockfall while climbing in the Hushe Valley, which is located in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, with her mountaineering companion. A rescue helicopter couldn't get to the scene due to bad weather.
A spokesman for the autonomous Gilgit-Baltistan government, Faizullah Faraq, said two rescue teams had confirmed her death. She most likely died at the spot, her representative said.
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What was Laura Dahlmeier's last wish?
According to Faraq, efforts are in progress to recover her body, which will be sent to Skardu once rescuers find it. Dahlmeier's management team stated that she wanted her body to be recovered without posing a risk to others.
“It was Laura Dahlmeier's express and written will that in a case like this, no one should risk their life to recover her,” the team said. “It was her wish to leave her body behind on the mountain in this case. This is also in line with the wishes of her relatives.”
{{/usCountry}}“It was Laura Dahlmeier's express and written will that in a case like this, no one should risk their life to recover her,” the team said. “It was her wish to leave her body behind on the mountain in this case. This is also in line with the wishes of her relatives.”
{{/usCountry}}After receiving a distress call from Dahlmeier's climbing companion, Marina Eva, who was able to make her way to base camp on Tuesday with the assistance of rescuers, local authorities started the rescue effort on Monday.
Laura Dahlmeier dies at 31: Tributes pour on
Following her demise, the German Olympic Sports Confederation expressed profound sorrow.
“She was more than an Olympic champion - she was someone with heart, attitude, and vision,” the group said on X.
In his condolence message to Dahlmeier's parents, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier noted that Dahlmeier “was an exceptional sportswoman.” He remembered that he gave her the Silver Laurel Leaf, the highest award in German sport, after she earned 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 stated.
The premier of her home state, Markus Soeder, also paid tribute to Dahlmeier, who was born in the Bavarian ski resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. He recalled her as "ambitious and successful" woman.