On Thursday, a 28-year-old motorcyclist experienced a severe accident on the Kesselberg, a notorious route between the Kochel and Walchensee lakes. The individual, who hails from Penzberg, reportedly was riding at high speeds when he collided with a guardrail and subsequently flew over it, plummeting more than 40 meters down a steep, wooded slope before colliding with a tree.

Rescue operations were hampered by the inaccessibility of the location, posing challenges for the fire brigade and Kochel mountain rescue teams. After the precarious recovery efforts, the injured man was airlifted to a hospital for treatment. The Kesselberg road was temporarily closed in both directions to facilitate rescue operations, and a witness who saw the incident from the opposite lane suffered shock and required medical assistance at the scene.

This incident marks the first motorcycle accident of the year on this popular, yet accident-prone stretch of road. To mitigate the risks, the Kesselberg road is set to be closed to motorcyclists daily from April 1st until October, between the hours of 3 PM and 10 PM, reflecting ongoing concerns regarding safety on this route during heavy riding seasons.