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High avalanche danger
Avalanches at Stoos and Engelberg take two lives
Several people were buried in the two avalanches at Engelberg and at Stoos. Two seriously injured people died at the hospital.
(lil / gh / mu) The avalanche in the Stoos fell on Saturday morning around 9.55am, as confirmed by a police spokesman at the request of the “Messenger of Urschweiz”. The air ambulance sent two helicopters to the area. The search was carried out in the Couliors area between Firenstöckli and the Klingenstock chairlift at an altitude of more than 1500 meters above sea level. The avalanche had further separated between the sharp stick and the red tower.
Members of the Swiss Alpine Rescue were also taken to the slope of the avalanche. A helicopter took a patient to Schwyz hospital. Subsequently, several police vehicles drove to the hospital area. Later that afternoon, the Schwyz police had to report in a bulletin: “A skier from the canton of Zug was buried in the avalanche and later died of his injuries in hospital.”
The scene of the accident in the Stoos.
The 49-year-old freerider was on the track. He had activated his avalanche airbag in time. The surrounding people had observed the avalanche approximately 150 meters wide and were able to quickly rescue the victim. Alpine rescuers and police officers searched for other possible people under the snow. Apparently no one was on the slope of the avalanche.
After the heavy snowfalls in recent days, there is a “great danger of avalanches” in the area, the second highest alert level. There was a huge crowd at the Stoos on Saturday in dreamy conditions. Readers reported crowds on the Stoosbahn. A reader’s image shows a host of winter sports enthusiasts lining up. A similar image was presented on the webcam in Brunni on Saturday morning.
Avalanche at Engelberg too
There was an avalanche at Engelberger Laub shortly before noon. Obwalden Police confirmed this upon request. The avalanche broke out of the marked slopes, as explained by Titlis lifts on request.
This is where the avalanche at Engelberg broke out.
When the avalanche fell, at least two people were observed to have been swept away and buried in the avalanche, Obwalden canton police reported. There were also several other groups of people off the secured slopes.
While three people could be located and rescued relatively quickly, the subsequent search turned out to be very difficult and dangerous due to the snow still in the corridor, the police continue to write. A final search could only be carried out after this mass of snow had been safely cleared.
One of the three captured people could be rescued unscathed from the snow masses. Rega had to fly two other people to hospital, seriously injured or in danger of death. According to police, the seriously injured person died on Saturday afternoon.
Four Rega helicopters, Alpine Rescue Switzerland with rescuers and avalanche search dogs, and Obwalden canton police were in action. The Obwalden prosecutor’s office is conducting further investigations into the course of the accident in cooperation with the cantonal police.
In connection with the tragic event, the Obwalden canton police draw attention to the fact that there is still a high risk of avalanches and that snow sports off piste or insured trails should only be practiced with great experience in the assessment of the avalanche situation.
A reader reporter recorded impressions after the decline:
The slope of the foliage where the avalanche thundered.
The rescuers are ready for Rega to pick them up.
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