Fatal descent on Stubaier Gletscher: climber dies due to small snow pack
The tragedy occurred on Saturday around 11:30 a.m. on Stubaier Gletscher in Tirol. The climber was descending a rocky slope off the trails to the left of the Daunscharte pass. The descent of a very small snow board knocked the man off his feet and dragged him along.
The mass of snow pushed the skier into a marginal crevasse of the Daunferners glacier at an altitude of approximately 2,970 meters, causing him to fall approximately 20 meters.
A medical helicopter Alpin 2 and a police helicopter Libelle were involved in the rescue operation. The emergency services crew performed resuscitation measures, but the victim could not be saved - he died at the scene of the fall. Staatsanwaltschaft Innsbruck ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Source: Kurz nach Neuschnee - Stubaier Gletscher: Erster Lawinentoter in Tirol - Kronen Zeitung
Context
This is the first avalanche fatality in Tirol this winter season. Lawinenwarndienst had been monitoring just days before the accident due to the forecast of up to 30 centimeters of fresh snowfall combined with high-altitude winds.
About a year ago, a similar accident was recorded on the slopes of Daunscharte: then an avalanche triggered by a freerider partially covered eight people, but they all survived and suffered minor injuries.