Series of accidents in Ötztal

From children to senior citizens: injured on the ski slopes

Several fatal skiing accidents, some with serious injuries, occurred on Sunday in the Tyrolean Ötztal: the youngest victim was just nine years old and crashed into a fall protection system. Police are investigating a hit-and-run in the case of a seriously injured 69-year-old.

Three skiing accidents occurred in Sölden: According to the police, a nine-year-old child from the Netherlands crashed into a fall protection system on the Gaislachkogel in the late morning and was injured. After first aid, the boy was flown to Zams Hospital by emergency helicopter.

Collisions ended in hospital
In the afternoon, a 69-year-old German skier and two Dutchmen aged 29 and 62 were injured in collisions. The 69-year-old collided with another skier on the Rettenbachferner, causing both to fall. While the second skier, who was uninjured, simply skied on, the German suffered serious injuries.

The collision between the 29-year-old Dutchman and his 62-year-old compatriot also caused both of them to fall and sustain injuries. The German and the two Dutchmen were also flown to Zams Hospital by emergency helicopter.

Broken collarbone
A serious accident occurred in the Hochoetz ski area around midday. A 17-year-old Dutchman fell and then slid ten meters down the slope before crashing into a young woman from the Netherlands (also 17). The teenager suffered a collarbone fracture.

14-year-old jumped onto skier
There was also a collision in Hochgurgl, but it was anything but ordinary. "A 60-year-old skier was skiing on the 'Funslope' and had already left the tunnel tube in the lower section when a 14-year-old boy came from the left and outside the piste, jumping over a ledge into the 'Funslope'," reported the police.

Both winter sports enthusiasts then fell. "The victims were unable to provide any information about the course of the accident due to severe concussion," concluded the investigators.