A dramatic rescue operation was launched in Oberperfuss on Sunday evening after hikers reported hearing screams and a loud bang in the mountains. Police feared an accident, but the cause turned out to be far less serious: a German hiker had dropped his expensive DSLR camera and shouted in frustration.

At around 7:10 p.m., police were alerted that several people near the Roßkogel had heard loud cries that sounded like a call for help. A police helicopter was dispatched for an initial search but found nothing. Witnesses near the Krimpenbachalm told officers they had clearly heard both the screams and a dull thud.

Later, a moving light was spotted on the mountainside, apparently from someone descending. By 9:00 p.m., officers made contact with a 58-year-old German hiker. He explained that while photographing the sunset, he had dropped his high-end camera, which was badly damaged. As he tried to recover it, he shouted loudly in frustration. He noticed the helicopter circling but did not realize it was searching for him.

The man was uninjured and was able to hike down on his own to his car, parked at the Inzinger Alm.

The operation involved the police helicopter Libelle Tirol as well as patrols from the Fulpmes and Kematen stations, including alpine officers. According to police, the damaged camera was valued in the low five-figure range.

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Alps-bros, how do we get rid of German tourists on our mountains?
You'd think training our cattle to attack and kill them would've been enough deterrence.