Dutch mountain climber falls to death in Swiss Alps

Dutch mountain climber falls to death in Swiss Alps

2011-09-02 00:33:07 GMT+7 (ICT)

BERN, SWITZERLAND (BNO NEWS) -- A Dutch mountain climber was killed on Wednesday afternoon while descending from a mountain in the Swiss Alps, police said on Thursday.

Bern Canton police said the accident happened during the afternoon when two people were climbing the Mönch mountain, which is located in the Bernese Alps. With it's 4,107 meters (13,474 feet) high summit, Mönch is the fourth-highest peak in the Bernese Alps.

The mountain climbers had reached the top of the mountain and later began their descend without a safety rope. At an altitude of approximately 3,940 meters (12,926 feet), one of the climbers heard a scream and saw his partner fall down the south side of the mountain.

"The man subsequently alerted the emergency services," Bern police said. The body of the victim, who was identified as a 51-year-old Dutch citizen, was later recovered with a helicopter.

Last week, a 60-year-old Austrian climber was killed on the same mountain.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-09-02