Corporated body under avalanche in Tyrol - winter athletes in danger!

Corporated body under avalanche in Tyrol - winter athletes in danger!

In a tragic incident, a body was discovered in the area of ​​the Arzler Scharte, north of Innsbruck, a body under snow masses. The find occurred on Saturday when the mountain rescue could recover the body. The body was partly buried under the snow masses caused by an avalanche. The exact circumstances of the avalanche exit and the duration of the spill have so far remained unclear. The victim's identity is currently unknown and the Tyrol police have not received any current missing persons for the area concerned. Identification could not be completed by Saturday evening.

The mountain rescue then transported the body into the valley with a helicopter. This tragic discovery throws a light on the dangers that winter athletes are exposed to secure slopes. In the winter season 2023/24 there were already more than 25 avalanches in Tyrol, which underlines the serious risks for outdoor enthusiasts.

avalanche season and security situation

The dangers from avalanches are particularly noticeable this year. The Euregio avalanche report provides information about the critical weather conditions and the associated risks. A total of 260 avalanche exits were registered during the winter season 2023/24, with 110 of them with personal participation. Tragically, seven avalanches cost human lives, although this number is below the 20-year average of eleven deaths, as the official balance shows. This data comes from the report of tirol.gv.at .

In addition, a missing person after a avalanche in the Pitztal at the end of 2023 was another tragic example of the dangers lurking in the Tyrolean mountains. This year, the sliding snow problem was a central topic that made both winter sports enthusiasts and those responsible on alert. At 123 days there were problems with slide snow that are due to high temperatures and large amounts of snow in higher locations.

outlook and measures

The highest avalanche threat level 5 (very large) was not spent this season; However, level 4 (large) was active over 12 days. The avalanche warning service of the state of Tyrol continuously analyzed the situation and carried out numerous data from weather stations and snow cover analyzes. New projects to improve security in the alpine area are also planned to increase safety for winter athletes.

The increasing number of access to the avalanche report, which has doubled to five million, show the great interest of the public in information on safe tour planning. The first report of this season was published on November 24, 2023, and the last report is expected on April 30, 2024 to summarize the findings and developments.