A tragic avalanche in Austria’s Tux Alps claimed the lives of a 51-year-old father and his 22-year-old son throughout a backcountry tour on December 26, 2024. The incident is the fourth loss of life over the Christmas interval within the European Alps, after a Swiss Olympic snowboarder died on December 23 and a 14-year-old boy died on Christmas Day in Les Arcs, France.
A bunch of 4 Austrians, together with the daddy, his two sons, and a buddy, launched into a ski tour from Schwendberg by way of the Rastkogelhütte, a widely known route for backcountry skiers within the space. Outfitted with backcountry skis, they ascended the Rosskopf, a part of the Rastkogel ski area, an space prized for its difficult slopes and pristine snow situations.
The descent started round 11:55 a.m. on an jap slope close to the summit. The group navigated a 37°-steep slope, with the 19-year-old buddy main the way in which. Because the 22-year-old son adopted, a large slab of snow broke free close to a steep part. The avalanche swept each the daddy and son roughly 300 meters (1,000 ft) down the mountain, fully burying them below meters of snow.
The 19-year-old son narrowly escaped the avalanche, managing what rescuers described as a “straight-line-escape.” The group instantly alerted authorities, triggering a large-scale rescue operation. Three helicopters, 33 mountain rescuers, two alpine law enforcement officials, and three avalanche canine groups from two native mountain rescue groups had been dispatched to the scene.
Rescue groups confronted a race towards time, probing the huge avalanche cone for indicators of life after search gear failed to choose up a sign from the victims. By 1:00 p.m., rescuers situated the 22-year-old son buried two meters deep. Regardless of resuscitation efforts, he couldn’t be revived. Shortly after, the daddy was discovered below a meter of snow at 1:20 p.m. Makes an attempt to save lots of him had been additionally unsuccessful. Each victims had been airlifted to Mayrhofen, the place they had been formally pronounced lifeless. The surviving members of the group are receiving help from the disaster intervention group.
The Tux Alps, a part of the Zillertal area, are famend for his or her huge backcountry terrain and world-class snowboarding alternatives. The Tux Ski Space itself, which is about 1.5 hours from Innsbruck, is a magnet for adventurers, providing dramatic alpine landscapes, difficult slopes, and dependable snow cowl effectively into spring. The Rastkogel, the place the avalanche occurred, is common with skilled backcountry skiers drawn to its steep pitches and panoramic views. Nonetheless, the attract of those peaks comes with inherent dangers. Avalanches are a persistent hazard, particularly in periods heavy snowfall as has been seen within the Alps within the lead-up to Christmas. Skiers and snowboarders are urged to verify avalanche reviews and guarantee they’re geared up with the right security gear, together with avalanche transceivers, probes, and shovels.
The avalanche hazard in Tyrol, Austria, is at present ranked at Degree 3 of 5. The European avalanche portal Lawinen Report warns that avalanches within the area may be triggered in older snow and drift accumulations, significantly above 2,200 meters (7,200 ft), the place hazard factors are frequent and exhausting to acknowledge. Warning is suggested on steep grassy slopes and sunny exposures, as gliding snow and free snow avalanches can simply happen. A non-fatal powder snow avalanche swept away ten skiers and buried three close to Innsbruck on Christmas Day, highlighting the present precarious scenario in Tyrol.
