German two-time Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier has died after a mountaineering accident in Pakistan, her management and a regional government spokesperson said Wednesday. She was 31.
The accident occurred around noon Monday, at an altitude of approximately 18,700 feet at Laila Peak, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said Tuesday.
Dahlmeier was climbing with her mountaineering partner when she was struck by a sudden rockfall in the Hushe Valley, part of the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. Poor weather conditions prevented a rescue helicopter from reaching the site.
Two rescue teams have confirmed she is dead, according to Faizullah Faraq, a spokesperson for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government.
Her representatives said Dahlmeier most likely died instantly.
"Laura Dahlmeier died on 28 July in a mountain accident on Laila Peak (6,069 metres) in Pakistan's Karakoram range," her representatives told Germany's Die Welt newspaper. "A recovery operation was launched but ultimately called off on the evening of 29 July."
Any final decision on retrieving the body would follow the wishes of Dahlmeier's family, Faraq said. A statement on Dalhmeier's Instagram page said it had been her wish that nobody risk their life to recover her body after an accident.
Local authorities had launched the rescue mission Monday after receiving a distress signal from Dahlmeier's climbing partner, Marina Eva, who managed to descend to base camp with help from rescuers Tuesday.
Eva had tried for several hours to rescue Dahlmeier, but that wasn't possible because of the difficult terrain and persistent rockfall, the statement on Dahlmeier's Instagram page said.
"Her partner, who could no longer hear any signs of life, eventually decided to leave the danger zone and resume her descent," according to the statement.
Bodies of foreign climbers who die attempting to summit mountains in Pakistan are typically recovered at the request of their families, but if the family declines a rescue, the remains are left at the spot where the climber died.
Dahlmeier won two gold medals and a bronze at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. She won the 2017 women's biathlon World Cup and retired from the sport in 2019 at the age of 25.
"Laura made history at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics as the first female biathlete to win sprint and pursuit gold at the same Games edition. She will be remembered forever," IOC president Kirsty Coventry said.
She won seven gold, three silver and five bronze medals at the biathlon world championships, along with 20 World Cup races, according to her website.
"Laura's energy and passion for life touched so many around the world. Her legacy, both within biathlon and beyond, will never be forgotten and will continue to inspire countless athletes and adventurers for generations to come," the International Biathlon Union said.
Dahlmeier turned to mountaineering challenges after ending her biathlon career. She had been a state-certified mountain and ski guide since 2023 and volunteered for the Garmisch-Partenkirchen mountain rescue team.
The German Olympic Sports Confederation expressed deep sorrow at the news.
"She was more than an Olympic champion - she was someone with heart, attitude and vision," it said in a statement on X.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier offered his condolences to Dahlmeier's parents, writing that she "was an exceptional sportswoman." He recalled that he presented her with the highest honor in German sport, the Silver Laurel Leaf, shortly after she won her first Olympic gold medal in 2018.
"Laura Dahlmeier was an ambassador for our country in the world, a role model for peaceful, cheerful and fair coexistence across borders," he said.
Dahlmeier, who was born in the Bavarian ski town Garmisch-Partenkirchen, was also honored by the premier of her home state, Markus Soeder.
"Laura Dahlmeier epitomised her native Bavaria in the best sense of the word: she was ambitious and successful, yet always remained humble and close to her homeland," he said in a statement. "Even after her active career, she shared her love of sport as a winter sports expert, member of the mountain rescue service and ski guide."
Hundreds of climbers try to scale mountains in northern Pakistan every year, and accidents are common because of avalanches and sudden weather changes.
The region has also been battered by above-normal seasonal rains, triggering flash floods and landslides. Since last week, at least 20 Pakistani tourists have been missing after floodwaters swept them away near the northern district of Chilas. Flooding and other rain-related accidents have killed 288 people in Pakistan since the monsoon season began in late June, according to the country's National Disaster Management Authority.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.