EThe avalanche on Christmas Day in the ski area of Zürs am Arlberg in Austria was largely unscathed. The hope for a “Christmas miracle”, which the Vorarlberg State Security Councilor Christian Gantner (ÖVP) had expressed on the day of the accident, has been fulfilled.
Four winter sports enthusiasts were injured, including a partially buried man who was flown to the clinic in Innsbruck due to his serious injuries. His condition is reported to be non-critical. Another skier is said to have been brought to the clinic in Bludenz. Some of the other winter sports enthusiasts involved skied down into the valley independently.
The avalanche went off around 3 p.m. at Trittkopf (2720 meters). According to the police, the slope below was partially buried over a length of 500 to 600 meters. Coincidentally, a skier had filmed the avalanche. You can see how she grabs the skiers at breakneck speed. Based on the video, it was initially assumed that ten people had been buried.
At times, up to 200 rescuers were deployed, including dog handlers with specially trained avalanche search dogs. Eight helicopters participated in the search. The avalanche cone was illuminated with searchlights so that the search, which only ended around 11 p.m., could continue in the dark. On Monday, a dog squadron and an avalanche of the army continued to search the area.
“Caution, winter sports enthusiasts – the situation is widespread at higher altitudes”: In its avalanche report for Sunday, the Vorarlberg avalanche warning service warned skiers to be particularly careful due to the wind and snow in the previous days. Reference was made in particular to fault-prone fresh and snowdrift at altitudes above 2000 meters. In addition, above 2200 meters, weak layers covered in the old snow are difficult to recognize. “Small to medium-sized, occasionally also large slabs of snow can be triggered by individual winter sports enthusiasts. Avalanches can also be triggered spontaneously, especially on steep, shady slopes. Such can sweep the entire snow cover there and then also become large,” said the avalanche report.
It was not yet known whether the avalanche on the Trittkopf on Sunday was triggered by winter sports enthusiasts who were off the slopes or whether it was a spontaneous trigger. The investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing. Despite many safety measures in ski areas, it cannot be completely ruled out that avalanches also reach ski slopes. In the event of an avalanche accident, rapid action is crucial. After just 15 minutes, the chances of surviving those buried are drastically reduced.
