German mountaineer dies while attempting to scale Laila Peak in Gilgit-Baltistan

German mountaineer and Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier was confirmed dead on Wednesday after she went missing two days back while attempting to scale Laila Peak in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The 30-year-old athlete was hit by a falling rock at an altitude of around 5,700 metres on Monday while ascending the 6,096-metre peak in alpine style with her climbing partner, Marina Eva, also from Germany.

Eva, who was below Dahlmeier on the mountain, was unharmed but unable to reach her.

Despite efforts by Pakistan Army helicopters and local high-altitude porters, adverse weather and treacherous terrain prevented a rescue team from reaching the site. Rescue operations have since been suspended.

Schweren Herzens nehmen wir Abschied von Laura Dahlmeier 🖤

Ihr plötzlicher Tod macht uns fassungslos.

Sie war mehr als eine Olympiasiegerin – sie war ein Mensch mit Herz, Haltung und Vision.

Deine Geschichte wird weiterleben, Laura. pic.twitter.com/54CWBo4oMd

— DOSB (@DOSB) July 30, 2025

In a statement, Karrar Haidri, Vice President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP), confirmed Dahlmeier’s death, calling it a tragic loss to the global mountaineering community.

“She died doing what she loved most, pushing her limits in the high mountains,” Haidri said.

ACP President Major General Irfan Arshad and Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq also expressed condolences to her family, friends, and fellow climbers.

Her agency, quoted by AFP, said the recovery was impossible due to the dangerous conditions. According to Germany’s Die Welt, Dahlmeier had left written instructions stating that no one should risk their life to recover her body and wished to be left on the mountain in such an event, a decision supported by her family.