A massive avalanche in an off-piste area at the Stubai Glacier, Austria, triggered a major rescue operation on Thursday morning, November 27, after eight skiers were swept up in the slide. The avalanche occurred around 9:15 a.m. in the freeride terrain east of the Daunscharte. The Austrian Alpine Organization believes that the slide was most likely triggered by skiers in the area. The avalanche swept all the way onto slope 9, Kogelferner, however, police confirmed that no guests on marked pistes were caught. All eight individuals involved were in off-piste terrain at the time of the avalanche.
Related: 20-Year-Old Belgian Skier Seriously Injured in Accident at Stubai Glacier, Austria
Because it was initially unclear whether anyone had been buried, emergency services launched a comprehensive search of the avalanche cone using transceiver teams and avalanche search dogs. Thankfully, no signals were detected. Rescue teams then organized several probe lines made up of both emergency personnel and civilians; this search also yielded no results. A final sweep was conducted by the Ministry of the Interior’s helicopter Libelle Tirol using a Recco search device, again with negative findings.
In total, nearly 250 people participated in the rescue effort, including mountain rescue teams, alpine police, Stubai Glacier staff, members of the German Bundeswehr who were on site for a training camp by chance, Czech and Polish mountain rescuers, and dozens of civilians.
Of the eight people caught in the avalanche, five escaped uninjured. Two were airlifted to Hall Hospital by the emergency medical helicopter Alpin 2. The injured were identified as three Germans: a 23-year-old skier with an arm injury, a 21-year-old residing in Innsbruck with a knee injury, and a 21-year-old with a minor shoulder injury. The latter was able to ski down to the valley unaided. The remaining five individuals were unharmed and identified as a 19-year-old Austrian, two Bulgarian citizens aged 27 and 36 living in Innsbruck, a 40-year-old German resident of Innsbruck, and a 22-year-old German from the Ostallgäu district. All involved individuals had freed themselves from the snow before rescue teams arrived.
The massive search and rescue operation involved a total of 250 helpers, consisting of:
emergency helicopters Alpin 2 and C1,
police helicopter Libelle Tirol,
mountain rescue teams from Neustift, Stubaital, and Sölden,
avalanche dog units,
seven alpine police officers,
several Stubai Glacier lift employees,
approximately 90 members of the German Bundeswehr,
around 60 Czech and Polish mountain rescuers with an additional avalanche dog, and
roughly 100 civilians.
The Austrian Alpine Association warns that avalanche danger in off-piste terrain is currently elevated due to early season conditions as the recent snowstorm has not had time to settle to an existing snow layer. Stubai had seen 70 centimeters (28 inches) of fresh snow. It is important to note that there is currently no daily avalanche forecasting yet for for Tyrol and Salzburg. Avalanche forecasting will commence this weekend. The Austrian police confirmed in a statement that investigations into the incident are ongoing.
The Stubai Glacier is one of Austria’s most renowned ski destinations, known for its high-altitude terrain and almost year-round skiing. Situated in the Stubai Valley (Stubaital), approximately 45 minutes from Innsbruck, the resort boasts Austria’s largest glacier ski area. With over 60 miles (96 kilometers) of pistes, it caters to skiers of all levels and includes a dedicated freeride zone for advanced enthusiasts. Indy Pass offers two days of skiing at Innsbruck’s SKI plus CITY Pass resorts, meaning passholders can ski two days at one of 12 resorts near Innsbruck, including the Stubai Glacier.
Related: Indy Pass Adds 43 New Resorts Across 10 States, 14 Countries
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