The 31-year-old German, who ended her biathlon career in 2019, was hit by a rockfall while climbing at an altitude of 5,700 meters.
"The climbing partner immediately called the emergency services and the rescue operation began immediately," the German's management tells TV company ZDF, according to Bild.
The accident occurred at lunchtime on Monday, but due to the inaccessible mountain area, the rescue helicopter could not reach the site until the morning local time. A mountain rescue team is coordinating the rescue operation with the help of experienced climbers.
The operation was paused on Tuesday evening, around 9 pm local time, due to darkness, according to local authorities. The work will resume on Wednesday.
Seriously injured
A helicopter has been able to confirm that Dahlmeier is seriously injured as no signs of life have been detected, ZDF reports according to Bild.
"The IBU and the entire biathlon family are thinking of Dahlmeier and her family and hope for good news soon," the International Biathlon Union writes on its website.
Dahlmeier won 18 championship medals during her career. Among other things, she became the World Championship queen in 2017 with five gold and one silver, and she won two Olympic Games gold medals in 2018.
Retired at 25
Just a year later, at the age of 25, she quit. She cited motivation problems and health reasons as the reasons for her decision. She also wanted to try other activities, such as climbing and mountain running. She is a certified mountain and ski guide.
After her career, she participated in the World Championship in mountain running, among other things. The 31-year-old is also an experienced climber and was the fastest woman when she climbed the 6,812-meter-high Ama Dablam in Nepal last year in just over eight hours.
The accident occurred in the Karakoram mountain range in the Kashmir region, which is known for having some of the world's highest mountains, including K2, the world's second-highest mountain.
Born: August 22, 1993, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
World Cup debut: 2012/2013.
Ended her career: May 17, 2019, at just 25 years old. Dahlmeier then said that she had motivation problems and wanted to try new sports.
Achievements: Olympic Games: two gold and one bronze. World Championship: seven gold, three silver, and five bronze. World Cup: 14 wins.
