A winter sports enthusiast died on the Stubaier Gletscher in Tyrol on Saturday after a snow slide swept him into a crevasse.
The accident occurred around 11:30 a.m. in the high-alpine terrain near the Daunscharte, at an elevation of 3,155 meters. According to the rescue services, the man was skiing off-piste in the Daunferner area when a snow slab released, carrying him over rocky terrain and into a 20-meter-deep crevasse.
Other skiers on the nearby slopes witnessed the slide and alerted emergency responders. The Neustift and Sölden mountain rescue teams, along with the Stubaier Gletscher piste rescue service, were dispatched to the scene. Two helicopters, the “Alpin 2” emergency medical craft and the “Libelle Tirol” police helicopter, were also deployed.
Rescuers had to lower themselves into the crevasse to reach the victim. The mountain rescue team from Neustift reported that the responders had to rappel into the 20-meter-deep space to access the skier. Once inside, they worked alongside a physician to attempt to resuscitate the man. Despite these efforts, the medical intervention remained unsuccessful, and the winter sports enthusiast succumbed to his severe injuries directly at the accident site.
The Tiroler Leitstelle confirmed the fatality to the APA news agency. Officials said that this is the first recorded death caused by an avalanche in Austria for the current winter season. The Tiroler Lawinenwarndienst had issued warnings in the days leading up to the accident, citing a delicate early-winter snowpack at higher elevations.
The service cautioned that heavy snowfall in high mountain regions increases avalanche risk for tourists. The agency had recently resumed its operations due to forecasts predicting up to 30 centimeters of fresh snow, which, when combined with wind, increased the danger in high-alpine environments.
The location of the accident is known for previous instability. In November 2025, a similar event occurred in the same sector when a variant skier triggered a slide that reached the lower section of the marked Piste 9. That incident involved five men and three women, who were partially buried but survived with only minor injuries. In contrast, the current event proved fatal.
Authorities have said that investigations into the exact sequence of events are ongoing. As of the latest reports, no information regarding the identity or age of the deceased has been released. Officials are also still working to determine the precise circumstances that led to the snow slab release. The incident highlights winter hazards; for instance, a September 2024 avalanche in the Tirol mountains also killed one person.
