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On Christmas Day 2022, an avalanche in the Lech/Zuers free-skiing area in western Austria buried ten skiers under the snow. The avalanche occurred at around 3 pm local time on the 2,700-metre-high Trittkopf mountain, leaving two people unaccounted for and feared buried under the snow. The Lech/Zuers ski area is marketed as one of the best ski areas in the world and a part of the cradle of Alpine skiing.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 25 December 2022 |
| Time | 3 pm local time (14:00 or 15:00 GMT) |
| Location | Trittkopf Mountain, Lech/Zuers, Vorarlberg, Austria |
| Height | 2,700 metres (8,858 feet or 9,000 feet) |
| People Reported Missing | 10 |
| People Rescued | 8 |
| People Still Missing | 2 |
| Injuries | 4 |
| Search and Rescue | 200 rescue workers, 7 helicopters, avalanche dogs, searchlights |
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What You'll Learn
Avalanche danger was rated as high
On December 25, 2022, an avalanche swept across ski trails in Austria, burying ten skiers in the Lech/Zuers free skiing area on Arlberg. The avalanche occurred at about 3 pm local time (1400 or 1500 GMT) on the 2,700-metre-high Trittkopf mountain between Zuers and Lech am Arlberg.
The high danger rating was reflected in the extensive rescue efforts that followed the avalanche. About 200 rescue workers, aided by helicopters, sniffer dogs, and searchlights, scoured the site through the night, searching for two people still missing and feared buried under the snow. The rescue teams were determined to continue their efforts "all night if [necessary]."
The high avalanche danger rating in the area was not without precedent. Earlier in 2022, nine people were killed in three days of avalanches in Austria, highlighting the deadly consequences of such conditions.
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200 rescue workers searched the site
On 25 December 2022, an avalanche swept across ski trails in Austria, burying around ten skiers under snow. The avalanche occurred at around 3 pm local time (1400 or 1500 GMT) on the 2,700-metre-high Trittkopf mountain between Zuers and Lech am Arlberg. The cascading snow reached as far as nearby ski trails.
Following the incident, about 200 rescue workers were deployed to search the avalanche site near the town of Zuers. The rescue workers were aided by sniffer dogs and helicopters in their search for the missing skiers. Searchlights were also set up on the snow mass to continue the search after dark, and rescuers requested headlamps to aid in their efforts. The Lech-Zuers tourism director, Hermann Fercher, vowed that the search would continue "all night if we have to".
Initially, up to ten people were feared missing based on a video provided by a witness. However, eight of those individuals were later identified and rescued, leaving two still unaccounted for. One of those rescued was injured and flown to a hospital in Innsbruck, while another was able to free themselves and go to a different hospital.
The avalanche followed days of snowfall and unseasonably warm weather in the high alpine region, creating dangerous conditions. The local mountain rescue service had rated the avalanche danger as "high" prior to the incident.
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Two people were still missing
On Christmas Day 2022, an avalanche in the Lech/Zuers free skiing area in western Austria buried ten skiers under the snow. The avalanche occurred at about 3 pm local time (1400 or 1500 GMT) on the 2,700-metre-high Trittkopf mountain between Zuers and Lech am Arlberg. The cascading snow reached nearby ski trails.
Initially, up to ten people were feared missing based on a video provided by a witness. However, eight of those individuals were identified and rescued, leaving two people still unaccounted for. The search and rescue operations involved about 200 emergency personnel, including rescue workers, mountain rescue teams, and crisis intervention teams, aided by helicopters, searchlights, and dogs. The nationalities of the two people still missing are unknown, but those who were rescued were from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the USA, Croatia, and Bosnia.
The avalanche followed days of snowfall and unseasonably warm weather on Christmas Day, creating dangerous conditions in the region. The local mountain rescue service had rated the avalanche danger as "high". The ski area was closed after the avalanche, and the search operation continued through the night, with officials vowing to search "all night if we have to".
Despite the extensive search efforts, the two missing individuals were not located, and it is assumed that they were buried under the avalanche. The fate of the two missing people remains unknown, and they were likely victims of the avalanche. The incident underscores the unpredictable and hazardous nature of avalanches, highlighting the importance of avalanche safety and swift emergency response in mountainous regions.
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Eight of the ten skiers were rescued
On Christmas Day 2022, an avalanche occurred in the Lech/Zuers free-skiing area in western Austria. The avalanche took place at about 3 pm local time on the 2,700-metre-high Trittkopf mountain, leaving ten people trapped under the snow.
The rescue operation involved around 200 people, including emergency personnel from various organisations, such as helicopters from Vorarlberg and Tyrol, mountain rescue teams with avalanche dogs, and crisis intervention teams. The search continued through the night, with the use of searchlights and dogs, as local authorities vowed to find the missing skiers.
The avalanche occurred after days of heavy snowfall and unseasonably warm weather in the high alpine region, creating dangerous conditions. The local mountain rescue service had rated the avalanche danger as "high" before the incident.
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The avalanche occurred at 3 pm local time
The avalanche buried ten people under the snow, with eight of them rescued and two still missing and feared buried. The rescue operation involved around 200 people, including emergency personnel from various organisations, such as helicopters from Vorarlberg and Tyrol, mountain rescue teams with avalanche dogs, and crisis intervention teams. Searchlights were set up on the snow mass, and dogs were used to try to find the missing individuals.
The avalanche danger in the area had been rated as "high" by the local mountain rescue service due to days of heavy snowfall and unseasonably warm weather. The ski area was closed at 5 pm local time on the day of the avalanche, and an update was provided the next morning at 8 am.
The nationalities of the two people still missing were unknown, while those rescued were from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the USA, Croatia, and Bosnia. The rescue workers faced a challenging task, with dangerous conditions in the western Tyrol region of Austria due to heavy snowfall and warmer temperatures.
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Frequently asked questions
The avalanche occurred in the Lech/Zuers free-skiing area in western Austria.
The avalanche occurred at around 3 pm local time (1400 or 1500 GMT).
Initially, up to 10 people were feared missing, but eight of those individuals were later identified and rescued.
The avalanche occurred at the 2,700-metre-high Trittkopf mountain, which is approximately 9,000 feet high.
Rescue crews used specially trained dogs, searchlights, and helicopters to search for and rescue victims.
