A 70-year-old Salzburg man was rescued Wednesday after being completely buried in an avalanche on the Filzmooshörndl mountain in Großarl, Austria. The incident is one of several avalanche events reported across the Salzburg region, prompting warnings from authorities about hazardous conditions.
The avalanche on the Filzmooshörndl, occurring at an altitude of nearly 2,000 meters, was triggered by three Salzburg skimo skiers during their descent around midday. According to Hannes Saugspier, the local head of the mountain rescue service in Großarl, the skiers were able to locate and begin digging out their companion before rescuers arrived. “During the search for the buried man, another slab avalanche released, but the trigger was able to evade it. The companions dug the buried man up to his head,” Saugspier stated.
Thirty-five mountain rescuers from Großarl and Hüttschlag, along with alpine police and the Martin 1 rescue helicopter, were dispatched to the scene. Hannes Prommegger, the incident commander, reported that the man was buried between 30 and 40 centimeters deep and initially unresponsive. He was extricated by rescue teams and received immediate medical attention before being airlifted to the Klinikum Schwarzach hospital.
Authorities reported additional avalanche activity throughout the day. Separate incidents occurred in Saalbach, Dienten, Obertauern, and Zederhaus, though no injuries were reported in those cases. In Saalbach, a British freerider was partially buried near the Schattberg Sprinter mountain railway station, but was quickly dug out by companions and continued skiing. Another avalanche near the Saalbach-Leogang ski area was observed by a woman, but it was determined no one was caught in the slide.
In Bad Hofgastein, freeriders triggered an avalanche in the Jungeralm area while crossing a slope off-piste. They were unharmed and immediately alerted emergency services. Roman Brandstetter, the head of the Bad Hofgastein mountain rescue, praised the group for their quick notification, stating, “This way, we know in the event of follow-up reports that nothing has happened.”
The mountain rescue dog teams were heavily utilized, responding to multiple incidents simultaneously. Stefan Aigner, the dog team deployment leader, noted that teams were dispatched to Saalbach and Großarl, as well as to the Ahornstein and Bründlingkopf mountains. “The almost half a meter of modern snow has partially fallen with a lot of wind,” Aigner said.
Authorities are warning of precarious conditions off-piste, stating that medium-sized slab avalanches can be easily triggered, particularly on northwesterly to easterly slopes above 1,800 meters. Gerhard Kremser, the Pongau district leader, urged skiers and snowboarders to choose defensive routes, as typical danger signs are difficult to recognize. “We appeal for a very defensive route selection, as even typical danger spots are difficult to recognize,” Kremser stated.
