Polish hiker found dead on Široká veža peak in High Tatras after overnight search

Planned route and disappearance

A 27-year-old Polish tourist died during a solo mountain hike in the Slovak section of the High Tatras on 6 September 2026. The hiker left home at dawn on Sunday, setting out alone at approximately 07:00 from the border parking facility at Łysa Polana. According to route plans shared with emergency services, he intended to complete an ambitious alpine circuit across the border range. His designated path led upward through Dolina Białej Wody, across the high mountain passes of Rohatka (Prielom) and Lodowa Przełęcz (Sedielko), before descending through Dolina Jaworowa to return to his parked vehicle at Łysa Polana. Phone communication with the man ceased entirely during Sunday afternoon. When he failed to return home by late evening, his girlfriend and family reported his disappearance to the Kraków police, the Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue (TOPR) in Zakopane, and the Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (Horská záchranná služba, HZS). Urgent appeals for information were also circulated on social media and regional mountaineering portals.

Cross-border emergency mobilization

Slovak mountain rescue coordinators received the initial missing person alert shortly past midnight on 7 September. Polish and Slovak rescue authorities immediately organized a joint response to trace the hiker's movements along the border territory. Field units quickly located the tourist's vehicle left at the Łysa Polana parking area, but calls to his mobile device continued to ring out without an answer. To identify a search perimeter, the Central Command of the Slovak Police assisted rescue teams by obtaining location data from mobile phone cell tower connections. Rescue personnel from the Starý Smokovec station mobilized during the night, supported by dog handlers with specialized tracking dogs and drone operators from the Avalanche Prevention Centre. Teams conducted ground searches through the rugged terrain of Dolina Jaworowa and Dolina Białej Wody throughout the night, with additional rescue detachments from other regional HZS stations joining the operation at daybreak.

Aerial search and recovery on Široká veža

The rescue effort expanded significantly with the arrival of aviation assets from the Slovak Ministry of the Interior. A ministry helicopter flew rescue teams into the remote high-mountain valleys to conduct aerial reconnaissance across steep cliff walls and rocky gullies. On Monday evening, 7 September, the flight crew spotted the missing 27-year-old on the northern face of the peak known in Slovak as Široká veža (referred to in Polish as Mały Lodowy Szczyt or Szeroka Turnia). Rescuers lowered from the aircraft to inspect the position, where they confirmed that the fallen hiker was deceased and showed no vital signs.

The missing person was located from the air on the northern face of the peak Široká veža; unfortunately he showed no signs of life.

Handover to authorities and official response

Rescue specialists secured the tourist's body and evacuated the site using the helicopter, transporting the remains down from the northern rock face to an operations base in the valley. Mountain rescue officials formally handed over the deceased to Slovak police investigators and a forensic medical examiner for required identification and post-mortem procedures. The recovery concluded an intensive cross-border search that spanned two mountain valleys and involved ground trackers, canine teams, aerial drones, and state aviation personnel. Following the operation, the mountain service issued an official statement acknowledging the fatal outcome.

The Mountain Rescue Service extends sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased.