Industry News
A 16-year-old Austrian boy died on Saturday, December 6, after a serious skiing accident in the Shuttleberg Flachauwinkl–Kleinarl area, part of the according to Salzburg police.
The accident occurred on Saturday morning in the terrain park “Absolutpark,” which had opened that day for the season. The accident took place near the exit of the Beginner Line (3).
Witnesses told Salzburg police that the teenager attempted to jump over a small drop and failed to see another skier who had fallen below the feature and was in the process of standing up. The 16-year-old tried to swerve to avoid a collision but lost control, veered off the piste, and crashed into open terrain. German newspaper Stern quoted a police spokesperson stating that the skier had hit a frozen snow bank on the side.
Emergency responders arrived quickly, and a rescue helicopter transported the teenager with serious injuries to the Kardinal Schwarzenberg Hospital in Schwarzach. Despite all best efforts, the youth latter succumbed to his injuries. The Salzburg police have not indicated any suspicion of foul play and are treating the incident as a tragic accident.
It marks the second death in European ski resorts this week after a Swedish skier died on opening day on Thursday, December 4, in Åre, Sweden.
- Related: Tragic Start to the Ski Season at Sweden’s Åre Resort, as 20-Year-Old Dies Minutes After Opening
This tragic death is an acute reminder to not go into terrain parks alone and to always use a spotter. Spotters can signal others if you or someone else has crashed, ensuring everyone’s safety in terrain parks. Hand signals for spotters are:
- Arms crossed above your head means: Stop! Someone has crashed or there is an obstacle on the course. The jump is not safe and closed.
- Arms shaped like a circle above your head mean: Go! The jump is clear, the landing is free of obstacles. A single arm raised will also work for this.
Absolut Park is Austria’s largest snowpark and spans 1.5 kilometers of lines. The park features seven distinct sections with around 100 varied obstacles and is maintained daily by a professional shaping crew. The park is located in the heart of the Shuttleberg Flachauwinkl–Kleinarl which is located 45 minutes from Salzburg and 2 hours from Munich, Germany.
