Despite good equipment, the 70-year-old avalanche victim from Lungau had no chance. The mountain rescue service was quickly on site, but could do nothing more. According to a mountain rescuer, the airbag would not have helped him either.
Avalanche tragedy the day after Christmas: On December 25, a resident went on a ski trip in Lungau and never returned. The 70-year-old former teacher released a large sheet of snow about 60 meters long and 50 meters wide around half past eleven. Five mountain rescuers who happened to be present started a search. A short time later they found the man, but all help came too late. The avalanche crushed the man.
“It is not easy to inflate an airbag within seconds.”
Andreas Macheiner from the Mauterndorf mountain rescue service explains: “The airbag in the man’s backpack was intact. He couldn’t activate it anymore. In my opinion, the man would not have survived even with the airbag.” To activate the airbag, you usually have to pull a lever on the left shoulder. “The pulling itself is not easy, especially with thick gloves. “It is extremely difficult to inflate the airbag within a few seconds,” says Macheiner. Moreover, the avalanche was so large that even the airbag could not have saved the well-equipped Lungauer.
A total of 35 mountain rescuers from Mauterndorf, Tamsweg, Zederhaus and Muhr were present. In addition, the volunteer fire brigade, the Alpine Police, two helicopter teams, two mountain rescue dog handlers and the Red Cross crisis intervention team supported the operation.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
