An aerial shot of the slope where the accident occurred. | Image: Kantonspolizei Graubünden
Swiss police are calling for witnesses to come forward after a fatal skiing accident occurred in the Samnaun/Ischgl ski area. On Tuesday, January 6, a man and a child had a collision or near-collision in which the man suffered serious injuries. The man died at the scene of the accident.
According to a report by the cantonal police of Graubünden, a 68-year-old German skier was coming down the blue slope No. 69 from the Alptrider Sattel in the direction of Alp Trida around 10:30 a.m. At the same time, a child accompanied by an adult man skied down the same slope, and the parties had a collision or near-collision during which the man fell. Bystanders—among them three doctors—administered first aid, and, together with the SOS rescue services, began resuscitation, however, the man could not be saved.
Ischgl trail map. | Image: Ischgl
The police report alleges that the child and the accompanying adult stayed for a while but then left the scene without supplying identification or contact details. Therefore, the police are appealing for witnesses to come forward, and, particularly, the accompanying adult to provide information in connection with this accident. The Engiadina Bassa police base in Samnaun can be reached at +41 81 257 63 70.
Samnaun is located in a pocket inside Austria and is interconnected with the Austrian resort Ischgl. The Austrian/Swiss resort stretches across 150 miles (239km) of runs and is serviced by 45 lifts and cable cars. It has one of the world’s most modern lift infrastructures and the resort sees around 2 million visitors each year, making it one of the busiest in the world.
Ischgl-Samnaun Ski Area. | Image: Ischgl Facebook