nOh that Avalanche In Arlberg in Austria, all the missing people are rescued. The state police in Vorarlberg said early Monday that four people were injured, one of them seriously. According to the current state of knowledge, no one is missing. Originally, emergency services assumed that 10 winter sports enthusiasts may have been buried by blocks of snow on the slopes on Sunday. A video of a ski guest suggested this conclusion. Police have now announced that the other six people were not caught in the avalanche.

According to the police, the search and rescue operation was halted late Sunday evening. For security reasons, a research will be conducted next Monday for „final clarification.” At times, up to 200 people from various rescue organizations were deployed. With the help of powerful headlights, an avalanche cone was illuminated on a slope below the Trittkopf elevation of 2,700 meters near Lech. Aides searched the floor with tall probe poles. They were supported in their search by seven helicopters.

On Sunday afternoon, an avalanche occurred in Zürs, in the Trittkopf district. The runway below is buried 500-600 meters long.

Nobody is missing anymore

The video of the ski guest standing at a distance did not show whether the skiers escaped from the danger zone. As a precaution, all available rescuers from the Alpine Police, Mountain Rescue Service and firefighters have been alerted. A skier was quickly rescued. He was airlifted to a hospital in Innsbruck with serious injuries. Police said the people who can be seen in the video reported during the evening. Some of them descended into the valley on their own and did not initially report their involvement in the avalanche incident.

According to the police, spring-like conditions prevailed Sunday at the Arlberg ski area, which is popular due to its many slopes and reliable snow. At the same time, according to the Avalanche Warning Service, the avalanche danger was great.

It is extremely rare for avalanches to reach slopes considered safe, but this cannot be ruled out. Three years ago, a woman and two seven-year-old girls died in South Tyrol when a huge block of snow 3,000 meters high crashed into Schnalstal and crashed down the slope. In Andermatt, Switzerland, there was also an incident in December 2019 in which snowpacks buried six skiers on the piste. But the ordeal ended slightly.

To survive in an avalanche is possible only for a short period of time. Victims suffocate under the snow or die from their injuries. But in individual cases, the victims are lucky and there is a cavity in front of their face that allows them to breathe. Under these conditions, winter sports fans were saved alive even after several hours.