Avalanche
[UPDATED March 17 with death of the skier]
A 19-year-old skier, who was in critical condition after an avalanche partially buried him on the Presena Glacier on Monday afternoon, March 16, has succumbed to his injuries. The young Polish skier, identified by Italian news as Marceli Antoni Kukier, died in hospital in Trento on Tuesday, March 17, at 6 p.m.
The avalanche occurred around 1:00 p.m. on a highly exposed couloir at 2,700 meters (8,858 feet) adjacent to the marked piste descending from Presena 3000 toward the intermediate zone of the Passo del Tonale ski area, on the Trentino side of the resort. Kukier had left the marked run with his brother to descend the couloir when the avalanche released, carrying him and leaving him partially buried.
His 21-year-old brother was not carried and was uninjured. He immediately began digging with his hands before rescuers arrived to locate his brother. Together with two rescue workers from the CNSAS, resuscitation was attempted and the 19-year old was rushed by helicopter to the Santa Chiara Hospital in Trento, where he was hospitalized in the ICU.
Two operators from the Trentino Alpine and Cave Rescue Service (Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico Trentino) on duty on the Paradiso piste received an alert at 1:00 p.m. from bystanders and Alpine Army troops who witnessed the avalanche. The Central Emergency Dispatch called in a rescue helicopter, a search dog unit, and a helicopter rescue technician. Personnel from the Alpine Rescue stations at Vermiglio and Pejo were also ready. The regional emergency agency AREU Lombardia dispatched a red-coded helicopter from Bergamo at 1:21 p.m.
Rescuers pulled the young skier from the snow, but he was unconscious and in cardiac arrest. Rescuers began resuscitation immediately, and once stabilized, he was airlifted to Santa Chiara Hospital in Trento.
The search dog and helicopter rescue technician combed the avalanche debris field for more victims. Finding none, the operation ended at 2:50 p.m.
- Related: 2 Backcountry Skiers Found Dead in Avalanche in Austria’s Tux Valley as Season Toll Rises to 28
Marceli Kukier was an avid traveler and adventurer and was passionate about many sports, including skiing. He was also enjoyed rock climber and bouldering according to his social media accounts.
Avalanche danger in the Trentino region was rated Grade 3, Considerable, on the Euregio Avalanche Bulletin at the time of the incident. This indicates a high likelihood of human-triggered avalanches on steep slopes near ridges, gullies, and wind-loaded terrain.
Trentino Civil Protection had issued warnings in the weeks leading up to the incident, citing wind-deposited snowpack and persistent weak layers that could release under the weight of a single skier. Rising temperatures at lower elevations also increased the risk of wet-snow avalanches on sun-exposed slopes.
This is not the first recent avalanche event at Passo del Tonale. On February 25, a large slide released near the Valbiolo blue piste on the Lombardy-Trentino border. That incident prompted a major multi-agency response involving the Trentino and Lombardy Alpine Rescue services, Carabinieri, state police, and the Vermiglio Avalanche Commission. No one was buried or injured in that event, and the area was declared clear after approximately two hours of searching, according to an official press release from the Autonomous Province of Trentino.
The Euregio Avalanche Bulletin, which covers the Tyrol, South Tyrol, and Trentino regions, is available at avalanche.report. All backcountry travelers are strongly advised to consult it before accessing mountain terrain.
