61-year-old loses his skis

Swept away by avalanche: Man walked down into the valley

Avalanches can be fatal - or someone can save themselves and get away with bruises, like an East Tyrolean on Tuesday. Symbol photo(Bild: Hubert Rauth)

Shock for a ski tourer on Tuesday in East Tyrol! On the way to the summit of the Deferegger Pfannhorn, the local man (61) was swept away by a snow slab and partially buried. The man was able to free himself from the avalanche, but lost his skis in the process. An arduous descent was the result.

The 61-year-old was on his way to the Deferegger Pfannhorn with several ski tour colleagues in St. Jakob im Defereggen on Tuesday. In the upper area, at around 2,700 meters, visibility and the weather deteriorated, forcing the group to abandon the tour. "The man decided to continue climbing towards the summit as the only one in the group," according to the police.

Skis no longer found
To the east of the summit on a steep slope, however, a snow slab broke loose, which carried the ski tourer a short distance and partially buried him. "The victim was able to free himself from the avalanche, but lost his skis and was unable to find them again," said the executive. As a result, he walked back to his colleagues, who made an emergency call.

Only suffered minor bruises
Due to the weather conditions, a helicopter rescue was not possible in the upper area. "In consultation with the mountain rescue team, the man walked downhill on foot, maintaining constant contact," the investigators emphasize. Due to his very good physical condition, the Austrian made good progress in the terrain and ultimately descended the entire route on foot to the starting point of the tour accompanied by his companions. The 61-year-old only suffered minor bruising from the burial and was otherwise uninjured.