Former German defender Sebastian Hertner passes away after a tragic fall
Sebastian Hertner passed away at the age of 34, leaving German football in sadness. The former defender died in a terrible accident at the Savin Kuk ski resort in Montenegro while on vacation. Initial accounts state that Hertner was ejected and fell about 70 meters to his death after a chairlift malfunction caused a collision between two gondolas.
Before being rescued, his wife, who was riding in the elevator with him, was suspended several meters above the ground but survived the event. She was treated by emergency personnel for a broken leg and a head injury, while three other tourists had to be evacuated after becoming stuck for several hours. Local authorities are still looking into the accident’s circumstances.
Hertner, a graduate of the VfB Stuttgart academy, made 65 games in the third tier while starting his professional career in 2009 with the team’s reserve squad. Before continuing his career in the lower leagues, he played in the German second division for Schalke 04 and TSV 1860 Munich.
German football has been flooded with tributes, with Stuttgart paying tribute to him and Teutonia 05, his final club, calling him “a friend and a role model” whose untimely death has had a profound impact on all those concerned.
