Teen Dies In Avalanche After Following Ski Coach Down Off Piste Run | Coach May Face Involuntary Manslaughter Charges
Tyrol, Austria – On Sunday, January 17, 2016 a 14-year-old Russian citizen was caught in an avalanche while skiing off piste in the Hochzillertal area in Tyrol, Austria.
The victim was part of a ski group of the Winter Sports Association from Bavaria. The group consisted of seven teenagers and a ski coach. They were race training in the AM and ventured off piste in the afternoon. The plan was to ski the slope one at at time. The coach skied first and the victim skied second.
When the 14-year-old skied the slope, he triggered a 15 meter slab avalanche. The avalanche occurred at approximately 1PM at about 2,000 meters on a “steep, north-easterly slope.”
No one in the group had avalanche safety gear (beacon, shovel, probe). It took 25 minutes to dig the teenager out of the avalanche debris. Rescue crews consisting of helicopters and mountain rescue crews responded, but were unable to revive the teenager.
The avalanche danger rating in Zillertal on Sunday at the time of the incident was 3 out of 5.
The coach may face involuntary manslaughter charges – much like the French teacher who led his school group onto an closed piste in Les Deux Alpes last week.
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Read more about the off piste avalanche accident in Hochzillertal in Tyrol, Austria that killed a Russian teen:
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January 2016 has been a tragic month for avalanches across Europe:
- Two Climbers Killed In Possible Avalanche In Scottish Highlands
- Two Off Piste Skiers Killed In Avalanche Near Verbier, Switzerland
- Three Dead After Avalanche Hits School Group In French Alps
- Avalanche Kills Two Italian Cross Country Skiers In Swiss Alps
- Two Skiers Die In Separate Avalanches In French Alps
- Mont Blanc Avalanche Kills Two Lithuanian Climbers
