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Alpine Police Accident Reports
October 24, 2026
This article serves as a supplement to the article “Accidents Involving Grazing Livestock” from the Summer 2026 issue of the ÖKAS trade magazine *analyse:berg* #31, which you can also read online. Should any further fatal accidents involving cows occur in alpine terrain over time, we will also report on them here.
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Encounters with grazing livestock are a common part of many mountain hikes. Most of the time, these encounters go smoothly; fatal accidents are rare. On this page, we compile all fatal accidents listed in the ÖKAS database—that is, only those that occur in alpine terrain and required the intervention of the alpine police or alpine rescue services.
The current (as of Fall 26) six accident reports from 2013 through 2025 describe attacks on hikers with dogs, as well as a fatal incident that occurred while feeding a herd of oxen. Based on police investigations and a report previously published in *analyse:berg*, we document the known sequences of events and circumstances.
This collection of case studies complements the article “Cows on the Alpine Pastures: An Underestimated Danger?” by Christina Schwann in analyse:berg #31, Summer 2026. It covers this topic comprehensively and explains, among other things, why such attacks occur, how stakeholders respond to them, and what measures have been taken so far.
Contents
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#6 August 2025, Schladming (St): Fatal grazing accident near the Austriahütte
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#5 June 2024, Bad Hofgastein (S): Fatal grazing accident near the Weitmoserhütte
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#4 July 2023, St. Georgen am Kreischberg (St): Fatal grazing accident near the Zechnerhütte
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#3 June 2017, Erl (T): Fatal accident on pasture at the Kranzhorn
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#2 July 2014, Pinnistal (Tyrol): Grazing cows pose a danger to hikers
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#1 September 2013, Türnitz (Lower Austria): Fatal grazing accident at the Mittereckalm
#6 August 2025, Schladming (St): Fatal accident on a pasture near the Austriahütte
On August 31, 2025, two hikers walking with a dog were trampled by several cows on the access road to the Austriahütte. One woman was seriously injured. A man suffered life-threatening injuries and died in the hospital that same day. According to witness accounts, the animals’ aggression was directed primarily at the dog.
Initial Situation
The two hikers were out walking with a dog. Their starting point was a nearby inn. The accident occurred on the access road to the Austriahütte, which is also marked as a hiking trail. The herd in question consisted of four mother cows, three calves, and two heifers.
Course of the accident
At around 5:45 p.m., the woman and the man were trampled by several cows about 30 meters north of the Austriahütte. Both sustained serious injuries from the animals’ kicks and blows. Police investigations were unable to determine which animals in the herd caused the injuries.
Witnesses reported that the cows’ aggression was directed primarily at the dog that was with them. The brief report does not provide further details on the sequence of events or whether the dog was on a leash.
↑ Comparison of a topographic map and an orthophoto from Austrian Map showing the accident site on the access road to the Austriahütte, where a couple and their dog were trampled by several cows, resulting in one person being seriously injured and one killed. Data source: basemap.at
↑ A zoomed-out view of the approximate accident site on the orthophoto and the view from the accident site toward the Austriahütte and down the valley.
Data source: basemap.at
Photo: Alpine Police
Accident Victims
The female hiker was seriously injured. The male hiker sustained life-threatening injuries and died in the hospital on the day of the accident. The brief report does not provide any details regarding the rescue operation. During the investigation, the dog—which had been injured—was found at the nearby inn where the hike had begun.
Investigation Findings
The access road to the Austriahütte is used almost daily during the peak season by hikers, including those with dogs. As of the date of this brief report, the Schladming Police Department was not aware of any previous incidents in this area involving problems between hikers, dogs, or grazing animals.
Witness statements describe the dog as the primary target of the aggression. The brief report does not contain a definitive reconstruction of the exact sequence of events or a statement regarding legal liability.
Daniel Pilz
Alpine Police Officer, AEG Liezen
Note: The Alpine Police accident report is editorially summarized and edited for articles in this section. Personal data is removed, and photos and graphics are sometimes edited or supplemented.
#5 June 2024, Bad Hofgastein (S): Fatal accident on a pasture near the Weitmoserhütte
On June 26, 2024, a mother and her two daughters, who were on their way to the Weitmoserhütte with two dogs, were attacked by a herd of cows. The mother was killed, and one of her daughters was seriously injured.
Initial Situation
On June 26, 2024, at around 11:30 a.m., a mother and her two daughters took the gondola to the Schlossalmbahn mountain station in 5630 Bad Hofgastein to go on a hike. They were accompanied by two small dogs.
Below the Weitmoserhütte (Schloss Hochalm), the three could already see a herd of cows several hundred meters away, standing right on the gravel road. As they continued along the trail toward the valley, they drew closer to the herd of cows.
↑ Comparison of a topographic map from Ö-Karte and an orthophoto from Austrian Map showing the accident site below the Weitmoserhütte (Schloß Hochalm), where a mother who was hiking downhill with her two daughters and two dogs was attacked by a herd of cows. The mother was killed, and one of her daughters was seriously injured. Data source: basemap.at
↑ Enlarged view of the Austrian map and orthophoto from Austrian Map showing the accident site below the Weitmoserhütte (Schloß Hochalm). Data source: basemap.at
Course of the accident
At around 1:35 p.m., the mother picked up one of the two dogs and walked toward the herd of cows. At first, the cows made way for her. Suddenly, a cow charged toward the mother. The mother tossed the dog to her daughter and tried to run away. Subsequently, about 20 to 30 cows gave chase.
↑ An approximate view of the accident site from above, showing the Weitmoserhütte (Schloß Hochalm) and the location of the herd of cows at the time the photo was taken (marked in white). The second photo shows the approximate accident site near the access road from a different perspective. Photo: Alpine Police
Consequences of an Accident
The mother was swept up by the herd of cows and trampled. One of her daughters grabbed a branch and tried to chase the cows away. However, she, too, was knocked down by a cow and trampled. She managed to get back up and flee from the cows. She then called emergency services.
The second daughter was able to flee in time and was not caught.
Attempts to resuscitate the mother were unsuccessful. One of the daughters was also seriously injured in the incident.
Patrick Schaupper
, Alpine Police Officer, AEG St. Johann im Pongau
Note: The Alpine Police accident report is editorially summarized and edited for articles in this section. Personal data is removed, and photos and graphics are sometimes edited or supplemented.
#4 July 2023, St. Georgen am Kreischberg (St): Fatal accident on a pasture near the Zechnerhütte
On July 24, 2023, a farmer was fatally injured in an accident in a pasture northwest of the Frauenalpe in the municipality of Sankt Georgen am Kreischberg. According to the police investigation, he was presumably trampled while feeding his oxen. A relative found him lifeless in the pasture in the early evening.
Initial Situation
The farmer left his farm around 1:00 p.m. to check on his herd of cattle. He kept 15 oxen on an alpine pasture near the so-called Zechnerhütte. The pasture was located south of the village of Kaindorf at an elevation of about 1,526 meters above sea level, northwest of the Frauenalpe.
Course of the accident
The exact sequence of events leading to the accident was not directly observed. Based on the scene they encountered, the police assumed that the farmer had been trampled by the oxen while feeding them grain. His cell phone, a wooden stick, and a sack of grain were found about 20 meters above the spot where he was discovered on the gently sloping meadow.
The victim was still holding a suspenders in his right hand. The police interpreted this as a possible indication that he had tried to defend himself against the animals with it. This assumption cannot be independently confirmed by the report. Based on the postmortem lividity, the time of death was estimated during the medical examination to be between 2:30 and 3:00 p.m.
↑ Comparison of a topographic Ö-Karte map and an orthophoto from Austrian Map showing the approximate location of the accident on an alpine meadow below the Zechnerhütte, where the farmer kept 15 oxen. When he went to check on them or feed them, he was fatally injured by them. Data source: basemap.at
↑ Enlarged view of the Austrian map and orthophoto from Austrian Map showing the approximate location of the accident on the alpine meadow below the Zechnerhütte. Data source: basemap.at
Locating and Recovery
When the farmer had not returned by about 5:30 p.m., his family began to worry about him. A relative then set out for the pasture. She found him lifeless; the oxen were still standing around his body. At 6:10 p.m., she called 911 and also notified a mountain rescuer she knew.
Since it was already clear that the victim had died, the rescue helicopter was called off. The police and mountain rescue team went to the scene of the accident. Even when the doctor arrived, the oxen were still near the victim and had to be driven away.
During the on-site postmortem examination at 7:30 p.m., the doctor determined that the victim had suffered multiple injuries, a traumatic brain injury, and numerous contusions. The police helicopter “Libelle Steiermark” recovered the body using a rope and flew it down to the valley. Among those involved in the operation were 15 members of the Murau Mountain Rescue Service, as well as the Alpine Police and other police forces.
↑ View down the valley across the alpine meadow, showing the approximate location where the farmer was killed by his oxen. Photo: Alpine Police
Investigation Findings
The police documented the scene where the body was found and conducted further investigations. No third-party negligence could be established. After being notified that evening, the district attorney’s office released the body for burial. The exact cause and sequence of events surrounding the alleged hit-and-run remain unclear in the report.
Bernhard Schreilechner
Alpine Police Officer, AEG Murtal
Note: The Alpine Police accident report is editorially summarized and edited for articles in this section. Personal data is removed, and photos and graphics are sometimes edited or supplemented.
#3 June 2017, Erl (T): Fatal skiing accident on the Kranzhorn
On June 7, 2017, two hikers were attacked by cows while crossing a pasture for mother cows near the Kranzhorn-Alm in the municipality of Erl. One woman sustained fatal injuries; her companion suffered minor injuries. One of the two dogs they were walking was also killed.
Initial Situation
The two hikers had climbed up the alpine trail to the Kranzhorn Alm with their dogs and stopped there for a break. For the return trip, they decided to take the marked hiking trail toward Bubenau.
This trail led through a fenced-in pasture. There were ten mother cows with seven calves in the pasture. Signs warned of the cows and their calves. The site of the subsequent accident was located about 40 meters southwest of the Kranzhorn Hut at an elevation of approximately 1,220 meters above sea level.
↑ Comparison of a topographic map from Ö-Karte and an orthophoto from Austrian Map showing the approximate accident site in the immediate vicinity of the Kranzhornalm. Two female hikers and their two dogs were attacked by cows; one hiker and her dog were killed. Data source: basemap.at
↑ Enlarged view of the Austrian map and orthophoto from Austrian Map showing the approximate accident site right next to the Kranzhornalm. Data source: basemap.at
Course of the accident
Around 2:00 p.m., one of the two women walked ahead. According to her statement, her dog was on a leash. She was taking a photo of the panoramic view when, immediately afterward, she was knocked over by cows. She fell onto her left side. During her initial interview with the police, she was unable to specify the direction from which the animals had come.
The cows then continued on toward the second hiker. She, too, was knocked to the ground and trampled by the animals. She sustained fatal injuries. According to the final report, she appears to have been carrying her dog. However, her companion could not say whether the dog had been on a leash. The dog, which was also fatally injured, was found about ten meters away from the woman, heading toward the lake.
Christoph Silberberger
, Alpine Police Officer, Head of AEG Kufstein
Note: The Alpine Police accident report is editorially summarized and edited for articles in this section. Personal data is removed, and photos and graphics are sometimes edited or supplemented.
#2 July 2014, Pinnistal (T): Grazing cows pose a danger to hikers
This article appeared in the 11th issue of analyse:berg (Summer 2016). It was written by mountain police officer Thomas Zingerle.
Last summer, there were several serious incidents in which hikers were attacked by grazing livestock. The most tragic incident occurred in the Stubai Valley, where a woman was fatally injured.
On the afternoon of July 28, 2014, a 45-year-old German citizen was hiking in the municipality of Neustift i. St. in the Pinnistal valley. She was accompanied by a dog of the “Kerry Blue Terrier” breed. She was keeping the dog on a short leash, which she had tied around her waist with a snap carabiner.
A one-minute walk below the Pinnisalm, a herd of grazing cows and calves was grazing. Suddenly, as the woman was walking past the animals with her dog, they were pushed aside by several cows and calves and attacked with their horns. As a result, the woman fell and was trampled by the animals. A man was nearby at the time and witnessed the attack. He immediately rushed to the woman’s aid but was unable to drive the cattle away. It was only when other people arrived and the dog fled that the group of animals surrounding the woman, who was lying on the ground, dispersed.
At first, the dog owner responded to the bystanders, who administered first aid until the emergency medical technician arrived. Immediately afterward, however, she lost consciousness and died at the scene of the accident.
↑ Comparison of a topographic map from Ö-Karte and an orthophoto from Austrian Map showing the approximate accident site directly below the Pinnisalm. A hiker walking along the forest road with her dog was fatally injured by cows. Data source: basemap.at
Injuries and Cause of Death
The Innsbruck Medical Examiner’s Office cited a heart injury caused by massive pressure and force applied to the chest as the cause of death. Furthermore, the woman sustained external and internal injuries to her chest and a stab wound about a finger’s depth, which must have been caused by a blow with a horn.
According to witness statements, several cows and calves were involved in the attack on the woman and her dog. In retrospect, it was not possible to determine which animals had attacked the woman and caused her injuries. The dog was captured on July 29, 2014—one day after the incident—and was found to have minor injuries.
Previous Accident
During the investigation into the accident described above, it came to light that a similar incident had occurred nearly half an hour earlier at almost the exact same spot. An Italian family was walking along the hiking trail with two dogs on leashes. Near the Pinnisalm, one of the dogs approached a calf without barking at it. At that moment, several cows charged toward the 43-year-old dog owner and her dog and behaved very aggressively. The woman was struck on the left side by a cow’s horns and thrown to the ground. Her husband eventually managed to scare the cows away by shouting loudly and clapping his hands; the dog had fled in the meantime.
As a result of falling to the floor, the woman suffered abrasions and bruises.
Grazing Areas and Animal Husbandry
The system used for the animals that were grazing in the pasture and from which the attack originated is called “suckler cow farming.” Under this system, the calves spend the summer together with their mothers on the alpine pasture. This farming practice is intended exclusively for meat production. The grazing area encompasses the valley floor of the Pinnistal near the Pinnisalm. It is bounded at both ends by fences that cross the valley floor. Several official hiking trails run through the grazing area. At the start of the trails, the farmer in charge had posted warning signs with recommendations for hikers regarding how to behave around grazing animals, particularly when accompanied by dogs.
Results of the Preliminary Investigation
The Innsbruck District Attorney’s Office ordered an investigation into the owner of the cows on suspicion of negligent bodily injury under particularly dangerous circumstances. Because the farmer had posted the aforementioned warning signs in several languages at the entrance to the pasture area in advance, the case against him was dismissed.
The tragic accident received widespread attention in all types of media, both domestic and international—particularly in Germany. Investigating officials provided the press with extensive information and gave a series of interviews. As a result of the accident, the Chamber of Agriculture and other institutions developed recommendations and guidelines for the handling and care of grazing animals.
No Liability for the Consequences of a “Cow Attack” on an Alpine Pasture
Because an incident involving grazing livestock led to a legal dispute that went through all levels of the court system, the Supreme Court issued the following ruling in its decision 2 Ob 25/15p dated February 18, 2015, the following ruling, which was issued specifically in support of alpine farming.
The Supreme Court upheld the legal opinion of the lower courts as reasonable, namely that neither the animal’s owner nor the owner of the pasture is liable for the injuries sustained by a hiker as a result of an attack by a “mother cow.” Despite a warning sign to the contrary, the injured woman and her companion had brought two hunting dogs with them while using the hiking trail that crossed an alpine pasture.
The first defendant owns several head of cattle that graze in the summer on an alpine pasture belonging to the second defendant. A hiking trail runs through this alpine pasture, which the plaintiff and her husband were using on the day of the accident. Both were walking a hunting dog on a short leash. During this walk, the plaintiff was attacked and injured by a mother cow. At the time of the accident, warning signs reading “Caution: Mother Cows! Dogs on Leash at Your Own Risk” were posted at both entrances to the pasture.
The plaintiff sought damages. She argued that the defendants had not adequately fulfilled their duty to keep the cows secure by merely posting a warning sign and that they should have kept the cows away from the hiking trail with a fence. The lower courts dismissed the claim.
The Supreme Court dismissed the plaintiff’s appeal on the grounds that no significant legal issue was at stake. It noted that the decisions of the lower courts were consistent with existing case law on comparable cases. Furthermore, it emphasized that the warning sign specifically warned of the danger that had materialized in this case and that agriculture, which serves the public interest, must not be unduly burdened by imposing excessive requirements on the keeping of cattle. It is customary to allow cattle to graze freely on alpine pastures.
Thomas Zingerle
, Alpine Police Officer
Note: The Alpine Police accident report is editorially summarized and edited for articles in this section. Personal data is removed, and photos and graphics are sometimes edited or supplemented.
#1 September 2013, Türnitz (Lower Austria): Fatal accident on the Mittereckalm pasture
On September 3, 2013, a man was fatally injured in the pastureland of the Mittereckalm near Türnitz. He had been out walking with his dog when he encountered a herd of cattle, including cows with their calves. After the dog was found unaccompanied, the police searched for the man and found him dead on the alpine pasture. An autopsy confirmed that the fatal injuries had been caused by cattle.
Initial Situation
The man set out from Hauserbach with his dog for a walk toward the alpine pasture area at Mittereck. In the pastureland of the Mittereckalm, he came across a herd of cattle, including cows with their calves. His vehicle had been parked about one and a half kilometers from the spot where he was later found.
Course of the accident
According to the police report, the man was attacked by female animals. He sustained blunt trauma to the chest and abdomen, as well as severe head injuries, which proved fatal. The dog he was carrying was suspected of being a possible trigger. The exact sequence of events during the attack and how the dog was handled are not described in this summary.
Search and Locate
A woman out for a walk noticed the stray dog and notified the police. Police officers were able to capture him near a parked vehicle. The owner was identified through the vehicle. Since the owner could not be reached by phone and his whereabouts could not initially be determined, the search began.
A short time later, police officers found the man lying on the ground in the pasture area of the Mittereckalm. He showed no signs of life; according to the police report, rigor mortis had already set in.
Investigation Findings
An autopsy revealed that the injuries had been inflicted by cattle. Based on the account that has been passed down, human involvement was ruled out. The presumed connection between the dog that was with him and the attack remains a hypothesis.
The original accident reports had already been set aside by the time the case was later summarized. However, the essential circumstances could be reconstructed from the chronicle of the Türnitz Police Station.
Bernhard Kogler
, Alpine Police Officer, Head of AEG Lower Austria-West
Note: The Alpine Police accident report is editorially summarized and edited for articles in this section. Personal information is removed.
