Laura Dahlmeier, a double Olympic champion, died at the age of 31 after a fatal mountaineering accident.
On Monday, the former biathlete was struck by falling pebbles at an altitude of approximately 5,700 meters at Laila Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountains.
Dahlmeier’s mountaineering partner notified emergency services of the event, and an international rescue team was rushed to the scene.
However, a helicopter only arrived at the isolated site on Tuesday morning, and rescue workers battled to approach the German athlete due to the fear of another rockfall.
The search for Dahlmeier continued until Wednesday, when she was discovered dead.
Dahlmeier earned two gold medals and a bronze in biathlon at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, and he is a seven-time world champion. She retired in 2019.
A statement from her management company read, “Based on the findings from the helicopter overflight and the rope partner’s description of the severity of her injuries, it can be assumed that Laura Dahlmeier died immediately.
“Recovering the body is too risky for the rescue workers under the current difficult conditions with rockfall and a change in the weather on Laila Peak and is not feasible.
“Her wish was to leave her body on the mountain in this case. This is also in the interest of her relatives, who also expressly request that Laura’s final wishes be respected.
“We bid farewell to a wonderful person. Laura enriched our lives and the lives of many with her warm and straightforward manner.
“She showed us that it’s worth standing up for your own dreams and goals and always staying true to yourself.
“We are deeply grateful, dear Laura, that we were allowed to share in your life. Our shared memories give us strength and courage to continue on our path.”
The German Olympic Sports Confederation led the honours to Dahlmeier, the first female biathlete in history to win both sprint and pursuit events at the same Olympics.
