2009 Schalfkogel avalanche
Encyclopedia
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
which occurred in Sölden
Sölden
Sölden is a municipality in the Ötztal valley of Tyrol, Austria.-Geography:At c. 467 km² , it is the largest municipality in the country. The population of 3,449 is outnumbered by tourists, of which 15,000 can be accommodated...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, on 3 May 2009. Six people were killed, five Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
s and one Slovak
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, when the disaster struck in the 3500 metres (11,482.9 ft) Schalfkogel
Schalfkogel
- Avalanche :The 2009 Schalfkogel avalanche occurred in Sölden, Austria, on 3 May 2009. Six people were killed: five Czechs and one Slovak, when the disaster struck in the 3,500-metre Schalfkogel mountain range. The corpses were discovered to have been frozen upon recovery. It was the deadliest...
mountain range. The corpses were discovered to have been frozen upon recovery. It was the deadliest avalanche to have occurred in Austria since March 2000. Although avalanches are a regular occurrence in the region, they mainly kill individuals as opposed to entire groups.
Incident
The victims were hiking when they were buried under two and half metres of snow which fell on them. The avalanche occurred on 2 May at the Sölden skiSki
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
resort. The hikers were approximately 1600 feet (487.7 m) below the summit. Authorities said the six bodies were retrieved as they ascended Schalfkogel between the ski resorts of Sölden and Obergurgl
Obergurgl
Obergurgl is a village in the Ötztal Alps in the Austrian state of Tyrol. Located in the municipality of Sölden, the village has approximately 400 year-round inhabitants, and is mainly a tourist resort....
near the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
border. A rescue effort had gotten underway on 2 May but was suspended that night. The search had earlier been called off. Rescuers were hampered by severe weather conditions. Witnesses had seen the avalanche and reported it by 16:15 but rescuers were delayed by the snowstorm. As soon as the rescue helicopter was able to land all of the victims had been located within the hour. It is understood four of them quickly died and froze after being buried under the snow, whilst the other two had some oxygen and survived in an unfrozen state until this became impossible. Rescuers said these two might have been rescued.