Lost consciousness

Skier slammed his head against a steel structure

A serious accident occurred on Thursday in the Damüls ski resort in Vorarlberg. A skier was skiing in open terrain and crashed. Ski instructors observed the incident from a lift.

The 62-year-old Austrian was skiing in the Damüls ski area on Thursday. He left the secured piste and skied into open terrain. In doing so, he probably came too close to a snow cornice. The cornice broke away under the man, who fell around 13 meters over steep, rocky terrain. He finally hit his head against a steel avalanche barrier and lost consciousness. 

Rescue by helicopter
At the same time, ski instructors were on a nearby chairlift. They observed the incident from there. The men immediately went to the accident victim and informed the emergency services. The ski instructors provided first aid until the paramedics arrived.

After being rescued by the C8 rescue helicopter, the 62-year-old, who had been wearing a ski helmet at the time of the accident, was flown to Feldkirch Regional Hospital with serious injuries.