Last weekend, several serious avalanche accidents happened in the alpine regions of Switzerland and Austria. In the canton of Valais, a 50-year-old Swiss snowboarder lost his life. The person involved, who is believed to be the Olympic medal winner Ueli Kestenholz, was caught by a slab avalanche in the Lötschental valley, in the municipality of Kippel. Despite being quickly rescued by emergency services and transported to a hospital, he died there from his injuries. His companion managed to get to safety on his own.
Tragic incidents also occurred in Austria. On the Weerberg in the Schwaz district, a 58-year-old ski tourer was completely buried by an avalanche. The search was difficult because the woman was not carrying an avalanche transceiver. She was eventually located at a depth of 1.70 meters but passed away shortly after at the Innsbruck Clinic. In other regions of Tyrol, including St. Anton am Arlberg and Kappl, avalanches were also reported, some of which led to injuries or ended without serious consequences.
Experts from the avalanche warning services had previously warned of a critical situation. In many areas, the warning level was four out of five, which means a high danger. Winter sports enthusiasts were strongly urged to exercise caution off-piste, as even small additional loads could trigger avalanches.
