Switzerland Police Looking for Skiers or Snowboarders Responsible for Triggering Avalanche

On Tuesday, January 9, in the afternoon an avalanche occurred and slid into the Pizol Ski Area in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland. An extensive search was issued, but thankfully, nobody was found buried or injured. However, Swiss police still seek help identifying who was responsible for setting off the slide.

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The avalanche was triggered outside of the resort’s official ski slope, but the runout carried into the resort and went unreported. The total slide ran approximately 246 feet (75 meters) in length and was 98 feet (30 meters) wide. Therefore, search efforts included a dozen members of the Alpine Task Force of the Cantonal Police of St. Gallen, a Rega helicopter with Ap3 Air Rescue, and an avalanche dog handler from Alpine Rescue Eastern Switzerland.

In Switzerland, if a skier or snowboarder triggers an avalanche in marked, off-piste terrain, they can face civil or criminal penalties, even if nobody is buried.

“If a skier goes off-piste and sets off an avalanche, they may be held legally accountable, especially if it buries someone,” said Swiss snow expert Robert Bolognesi.

The local police department in Bad Ragaz continues to ask anyone who sets off an avalanche to report it, hopefully preventing costly and expansive search and rescue efforts in the future.