German men die climbing Austrian Alps at ages 50, 50 and 60

BERLIN – Three German men have died in separate accidents while hiking in the Austrian Alps, authorities said Saturday.

A 60-year-old man who fell while roped to two other climbers near Nassereith in western Austria died Friday, Austria’s APA news agency reported.

The man, the three-man team’s lead climber, suffered fatal injuries when he fell past the middle climber and ended up hanging upside down. An autopsy was ordered to determine the specific cause of his death.

About 40 kilometres (25 miles) to the south near St. Leonhard im Pitztal, a 50-year-old climber fell into a crevasse at high altitude Friday and sustained serious injuries.

Rescue crews got him to the University Hospital in Innsbruck for treatment, but he died Saturday morning, according to APA.

In the same region, near the town of Reutte, a 50-year-old man died after tripping on a ridge and tumbling down 250 metres (more than 800 feet) of rocky terrain Friday afternoon, APA reported.

A helicopter could not reach the site. A mountain rescue team hiked up, and a doctor pronounced the man dead at the scene about 4 1/2 hours after his fall.