Three Croatian climbers who went missing after being swept away by an avalanche in Slovenia’s Julian Alps have been found dead, officials from Slovenia and Croatia said on Monday.
The avalanche struck on Sunday beneath Mount Tosc, carrying the climbers about 350 metres into a narrow snow gully, Slovenia’s Mountain Rescue Service said in a statement. Four other members of their group managed to stay on the trail and were unharmed.
Rescuers with ropes located the first victim on Sunday afternoon, about 1.5 metres beneath the snow. Poor weather forced them to suspend operations until Monday, when the bodies of the remaining two men were recovered.
More than 60 rescuers and mountain police took part in the operation, supported by a Slovenian army helicopter once conditions allowed. Snow at the site was more than half a metre deep, making access difficult, the service said.
Around 10 a.m., the avalanche broke loose, carrying the three climbers some 350 metres into a narrow gully. Slovenian rescuers located the first victim later that day, buried about 1.5 metres under the snow, but poor conditions forced the operation to halt overnight. On Monday, teams discovered the other two bodies at depths of around one and one-and-a-half metres, officials said.
“This was an extremely demanding operation in a steep and rocky gully,” said Miha Arh, head of the Bohinj Mountain Rescue Association, who led the mission. “One of the victims was carried about 150 metres, the other two some 200 metres further. Sadly, all three had lost their lives. I extend my sincere condolences to their families.”
More than 60 mountain rescuers, police officers and army personnel took part in the effort, supported by a Slovenian army helicopter once weather conditions allowed. Snow on the ground measured more than 60 centimetres, with winds and unstable layers contributing to the avalanche risk, Arh said.
Rescuers also used mobile phone data provided overnight by relatives to help pinpoint the missing climbers’ locations. “We were able to focus the search thanks to signals sent from one of the victims’ phones,” Arh said.
The victims, reported to be from Split and surrounding towns including Solin, Kaštel Sućurac and Žrnovnica, had climbed Slovenia’s highest peak, Mount Triglav, the day before, before returning to Vodnikov dom.
Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinović travelled to Bohinj on Monday, where he stood alongside his Slovenian counterpart Boštjan Poklukar to confirm the deaths. “This is a great tragedy – three young lives lost in one day,” Božinović said. “We had hoped for better news, but sadly it did not come. I thank the Slovenian rescue services for their extraordinary effort.”
He said the Croatian government had been in constant contact with Slovenian authorities since the avalanche struck. “Our government, ministers and the prime minister were following the situation closely and were in continuous communication with the operational teams,” he added.
Identification procedures are now under way, and authorities said one of the bodies still needed to be transported from the mountain.
The tragedy has underscored the dangers of late-season climbing in the Alps, where sudden snowfalls and strong winds can destabilise slopes. Klemen Belhar, vice-president of the Slovenian Mountain Rescue Service, said the situation in the area remained “complicated and dangerous,” with other groups still in the mountains.
“Half a metre of snow might not sound like much, but in these conditions it is enough to trigger an avalanche – and unfortunately that is exactly what happened,” Belhar said.
Identification of the victims is under way, and one body remains to be transported from the mountain, authorities added.