Two skiers lost their lives in the Austrian Alps after being buried by an avalanche. According to Austrian newspaper Kurier, the victims were a 51-year-old father and his 22-year-old son.
They were part of a group of four, which included a 19-year-old son and a friend, skiing in the Zillertal region. The incident occurred around noon as they descended the eastern slope of Rosskopf mountain when the avalanche struck.
The 19-year-old son and the friend escaped the sliding snow. The two deceased were completely buried, and the rescue operation was hindered by the inability to locate their avalanche beacons.
The son’s body was found an hour later two meters deep, and the father was found 20 minutes afterwards at a depth of one meter. Their bodies were airlifted from the scene, with multiple rescue teams and search dogs involved in the operation.
At the time, the avalanche warning level in the area was three out of five, indicating a significant risk. On Christmas Day, a 73-year-old man was also killed by an avalanche in Mauterndorf, Austria.
Heavy snowfall in Tirol before Christmas increased avalanche risks, and warnings continue for the upcoming week. In France and Switzerland, avalanches have also resulted in fatalities.
On Christmas Day, a 14-year-old boy died in the Les Arcs ski resort in France while skiing off-piste with six others. On Monday, Swiss snowboarder Sophie Hediger died in an avalanche in Arosa, Switzerland.
The Olympian had recently competed in a World Championship qualifier. According to police, Hediger had strayed from a closed piste when she was buried by snow, and resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
Source: NOS