Fatal skiing accident in Sölden: 20-year-old hits snow cannon!

Fatal skiing accident in Sölden: 20-year-old hits snow cannon!

A tragic skiing accident cost the life of a 20-year-old Dutchman in Sölden on Monday afternoon. The young man had an accident on the Rettenbachferner at around 12 p.m. when he crashed into a snow cannon at high speed. This was six to seven meters outside the secured runway and was equipped with a safety cushion. The impact was so violent that the skier remained motionless. An eyewitness who observed the accident from a gondola immediately made an emergency call. Despite the quick arrival of an emergency doctor via rescue helicopter, only the holidaymaker's death could be determined. In addition to the emergency doctor, the local piste rescue team, a crisis intervention team and the police were also deployed to deal with the situation. oe24 reports.

This accident is part of a worrying development, as there has been an increasing number of serious skiing accidents in Tyrol in recent weeks. On Wednesday, several serious accidents were reported in various ski areas, which also resulted in four injuries. Including a two-year-old girl who was injured in a collision while playing in the snow. In another case, a 39-year-old and a 17-year-old skier collided on red slope No. 8 in the Hochzillertal ski area, resulting in serious injuries to both. A 59-year-old also suffered serious head injuries on the Hintertux Glacier after colliding with an unknown skier, who then fled. All in reported.

Frequent accidents during the ski season

There have already been numerous fatal ski accidents in Tyrol this ski season. A total of eleven people have died while skiing in the region since the beginning of winter. This number has prompted the Austrian Board of Trustees for Alpine Safety (ÖKAS) to make an urgent appeal for skiers to take personal responsibility. The organization points out that the responsibility for their own safety and that of others on the slopes lies with each individual driver. Further information can be found here.

In addition, recent accidents increase general concerns about safety on the slopes, especially in Tyrol, where the number of incidents is increasing daily. Regulators and safety services may need to review and adapt their measures to prevent such tragic accidents in the future.