Avalanche drama at Innsbruck: Winter athletes in a fatal trap!

Avalanche drama at Innsbruck: Winter athletes in a fatal trap!

On April 19, 2025, an unable to do so was found dead in an avalanche above Innsbruck, north of the Arzler Scharte. The affected person was partially shaken, but the time of the avalanche exit and the duration of the stay in the snow mass is unclear. An alarmed emergency doctor could only determine the person's death. The salvage took place by helicopter, while the alpine police's investigation is currently underway. Several deadly avalanche accidents in Tyrol have already been recorded this year.

In winter, avalanches in the alpine regions of Austria have traditionally high priority, not least because of the risks for winter athletes associated with them. Although the danger is difficult to predict, there is a certain remaining risk in the mountains. Statistics show that the mountain rescue was informed of 373 avalanches in Austria in the 2019/2020 winter season. However, the number of unreported incidents does not apply to an estimated over 3000 events per year.

fatal incidents in Tirol

One of the latest serious accidents occurred on February 4, 2023 in the Hochzillertal ski area, where a very good New Zealand skier in the thick fog was removed from a blocked slope. He was outside the visibility of his group and found himself in heavily cropped terrain. Shortly after his disappearance, a missing person report was submitted around 11:10 a.m.

A search show showed that the skier's LVS signal was located on a avalanche cone at about 1,960 meters. At 12:13 p.m. the upper body of the missing person could be uncovered at about one meter depth, but the resuscitation attempts showed no success until 12:30 p.m. The determination of the alpine police showed that slopes No. 3 on which the accident took place was closed all day.

overall balance of the avalanche victims

The number of avalanches in Europe has remained constant in recent years, despite the increasing number of ski touring. There are around 100 avalanche victims in Europe every year, while Austria has to deal with 21 deaths on a ten -year means. Variants and ski tourers are particularly at risk: 54 percent of the accident on ski tours die from avalanches. Mostly the accidents occur at an avalanche warning level of 3, which is classified as significant.

statistics show that winter athletes trigger the avalanche in 90 percent of the cases. The most common cause of death in avalanche accidents has suffocated, which occurs in 75 percent of cases. Despite a probability of survival of over 90 percent in the first few minutes, every second dies with full spill. This illustrates the crucial role of time until the rescue and the associated risks for winter athletes in dangerous terrain situations.