An ice climber was swept away by an avalanche in South Tyrol. The masses of snow carried him a total of 300 meters – but the man remained uninjured.
Munich – With the first snow in the Alps, there is a danger of avalanches again. Every year several people fall victim to the snow. In the winter of 2018/2019, 19 people died in avalanches in Austria alone, according to the German Weather Service (DWD). An athlete from Eastern Europe escaped with his life. He survived an avalanche after being swept 300 meters.
The incident occurred on Sunday (December 10) in the Dolomites, more precisely in the Sella group on the Trentino side, it is reported southtirolnews.it. Accordingly, the man was climbing an ice wall when the avalanche hit him. The avalanche was approximately 100 meters wide and swept the athlete a good 300 meters away.
Avalanche in the Dolomites: athlete survives uninjured
He was partially buried in snow, but a companion was able to free him from it. Meanwhile, two mountain guides who had observed the avalanche had already alerted the emergency call center. The athlete from Eastern Europe remained uninjured.
What exactly is an avalanche?
An avalanche occurs when it is 50 meters long and has a volume of 500 cubic meters. Anything below that is a snow slide. An interaction between snow conditions, weather, terrain and people ensures that snow falls. But the structure of the snow cover is also crucial for avalanches. The danger is highest, the more different the properties of the layers are. Avalanches are usually only possible from a slope of 30 degrees. In addition, they mostly occur in terrain with little vegetation.
An avalanche can only be caused by a trigger. These include, for example, sudden additional stress, such as skiers, tourers, animals or a rock fall. But natural processes such as excessive moisture in the snow, rain or an increase in weight due to snowfall can also trigger an avalanche.
(Source: dwd.de)
Avalanche accidents are not uncommon, especially in winter. Last year, an avalanche in Austria became a true Christmas miracle, while a weekend in Austria and South Tyrol claimed numerous victims.
#Man #dragged #meters