Careless accident in Austria: Skier from Germany crashes into snow groomer while drunk

More luck than sense: A German tourist crashes into a snow groomer in Austria. And remains largely undamaged. It later comes out: He had 3.12 per mille.

Flachau – For many guests in Austria’s ski areas, a ski holiday doesn’t just mean racing down the slopes on skis. For many people, stopping for a break with a glass or two of wheat beer at the ski hut or a Jagatee is an integral part of a successful day on the slopes. A German holidaymaker seemed to have overdone it a bit at this ceremony on Wednesday (January 10th).

The skier from the Bavarian Upper Palatinate, who was already much more than just tipsy, was hit and injured by a snowcat in the Salzburg ski area Ski amadé in Flachau (Pongau). The 37-year-old was probably not completely innocent in the collision – an alcohol test showed that he had a blood alcohol level of 3.12.

The ski slope was closed due to preparation work

The German holidaymaker drove down the slope towards the valley around 7 p.m. This piste – like all ski pistes in the ski area – was closed due to preparation and snow-making work. Ignoring this driving ban can be life-threatening; the snow groomers are often attached to ropes that can be overlooked and can suddenly shoot up with force.

As the man from Upper Palatinate was driving into the valley, a 42-year-old lift employee came uphill towards him with a snow groomer. He was transporting two snow cannons on the caterpillar's front blade and therefore had no clear view. The caterpillar therefore drove uncharacteristically in the middle of the ski slope.

Suddenly he noticed the holidaymaker in front of him, but was no longer able to brake and a collision occurred. The skier was hit by the caterpillar's shield, fell to the side and, according to his own statements, miraculously suffered only one bruise from the collision. If the snow groomer had run over him, the consequences would certainly have been more serious.

Accidents in Austrian ski areas are increasing

The crash with the snow groomer was just one of several incidents in the past few days. Just on Sunday (January 7th), a hotel employee (36) in the ski resort of Ischgl (Tyrol) was hit by a snow blower. According to the police, a colleague (42) had cleared the entrance to the staff building with a tractor about two meters wide with a snow blower attached to the front.

The next day, several people were injured in a gondola accident in Austria. The cause of the crash is still being investigated. Meanwhile, holidaymakers are expected to pay over 21,000 euros for a rescue operation on the Großglockner.