A Russian scientist fell 500 feet to his demise after a hiking app led him astray in the Berchtesgadener National Park in Germany, according to The Sun.
The 34-year-old scientist, identified as Dr. Dmitry Fedyanin, was directed onto an unmarked path while attempting to descend towards Gotzenalm near Koenigssee Lake, The Sun reported Tuesday, citing local police.
Scientist falls 500ft to his death after hiking app led him over cliff https://t.co/yklckNu5Bm pic.twitter.com/MEy4uBrnm8
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Following the app’s alleged misguidance, Dr. Fedyanin “slid down at least 150 metres (492 feet),” Upper Bavarian Police spokesman Maximilian Maier said, according to the outlet. The scientist had been reported missing until mountain rescue teams discovered his body at the base of Hoher Laafeld peak Aug. 12.
“Our investigators assume that the male individual slipped in the rocky area which features some patches of grass,” Maier said, The Sun reported. Officials suspect the man succumbed to head injuries sustained during the incident. (RELATED: College Student Plummets Hundreds Of Feet To His Death While Hiking With Girlfriend)
“It is understood that he had been around on his own,” Maier continued, according to The Sun. “The involvement of any other person can be ruled out.”
Fedyanin was reportedly a distinguished scientist, holding a senior research fellow position in Germany’s Siegen University’s Nano-Optics Department. He began his studies at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, specializing in ultraviolet light, according to The Sun.
The latest incident is one of four recent deaths in the Berchtesgaden Alps area, The Sun reported, citing local outlet BR24.
A 29-year-old Austrian woman died after to a fall on the mountain’s rocky landscape Saturday, according to the outlet. Similarly, a 57-year-old woman from Germany’s Black Forest region fell approximately 650 feet to her death in front of her husband the preceding Friday, The Sun reported.