Alpine Rescue Service.

29 December 2020

Safety in the mountains became a concern as more tourists ventured into the high mountains after 1850. Since the mid-19th century, mountaineers have climbed, descended slopes, and hiked on mountain paths and glaciers.

The number of accidents also rose sharply. However, organised mountain rescue did not exist. In Engadin, doctor Oscar Bernhard (1861-1939) from Samedan recognised the need for action. He campaigned for the establishment of an Alpine rescue service.

In 1891, he was the first to organise a first-aid course. For this purpose, he created 55 instruction panels, some of which featured coloured drawings. They show first aid measures in the event of accidents in the mountains and the transport of injured people.

The educational panels and the course were a great success, marking the beginning of professional mountain rescue, which is now 130 years old.

(Source: D. Lardelli, ‘Pionier der Bergrettung’, in Piz Magazin für das Engadin, Winter 2018/2019, pp. 173-175, Scuol, 2019).