Both died Sunday in Vorarlberg, police said. In the western federal state, as in many parts of the Austrian Alps, heavy avalanches were the cause heavy snowfalls.
Nevertheless, in Schoppernau, a 26-year-old from the Bavarian district of Dachau ventured into the deep snow off the secured slopes and was spilled by a slab. His 25-year-old companion was able to locate the man immediately because his legs were sticking out of the snow. With help from mountain rescuers, she dug him out. He could not be revived. The skier died even though he was equipped with an avalanche airbag that was designed to prevent winter athletes from being dragged under the snow in an emergency.
In a second avalanche accident died a 32-year-old from the vicinity of Heilbronn. He was in the afternoon with a 25-year-old skier in the Damüls area, when he was buried to the neck. The two winter athletes also carried avalanche emergency equipment. But before the man could be rescued, more snow fell over him and buried in full. Also in this case, the rescue workers were no longer able to reanimate the man.
In another fatal accident in Vorarlberg, a Swiss snowboarder made a turn off the piste on Sunday and fell 20 meters into a steep slope. The 24-year-old stuck with head and torso in deep snow.
