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AVALANCHE

Avalanche kills man at Swedish ski resort

A ski patroller has died after being injured in an avalanche at the Funäsfjällen ski resort near Härjedalen in northern Sweden on Monday.

Avalanche kills man at Swedish ski resort

The accident took place on Monday afternoon when the man was carrying out a routine assessment of avalanche danger at the Tänndalen area of the Funäsfjällen resort.

But the man was suddenly swept down the hill in an avalanche which left him buried under the masses of snow.

Colleagues were able to dig the man out after about 45 minutes at which point he was taken to hospital in Östersund by helicopter.

Early Tuesday morning, however, the man died from his injuries.

Grönklittsgruppen, the company that manages the ski area, said it plans to review its procedures in light of the incident.

“We’re going to have a look at our procedures and the type of safety equipment that was used,” Torbjörn Wallin, head of the Grönklittsgruppen, told the TT news agency.

A woman who was also involved in the avalanche safety check sustained mild injuries.

The pair were working near the Hamra lift when the avalanche occurred in an off-piste area.

According to Wallin, the man who died was a very experienced ski patroller.

“He’s even conducted trainings in avalanche safety,” Wallin told TT.

On Monday, the avalanche risk at Tänndalen was at a level three on a five-level scale, which corresponds to a significant avalanche risk.

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SKI

Dad’s ‘miracle escape’ after being buried by avalanche in French Alps

A man out walking with his family in the French Alps has made a miraculous escape from an avalanche after spending more than two and a half hours trapped under snow, rescuers said.

Dad's 'miracle escape' after being buried by avalanche in French Alps
Ski lifts in France are closed, but visitors and locals are free to enjoy other outdoor sports. Photo: AFP

The 50-year-old father was snowshoeing near the high-altitude Val d'Isere ski resort with his wife and two children on Thursday without anti-avalanche safety equipment.

“Thank to the mobilisation of nearly 100 people… the man was found alive after two hours and 40 minutes of searching,” the police for the local Savoie département announced on Twitter.

Because of the depth of the snow, rescue dogs were unable to detect a trace, but the man was eventually dug out by a specialised mountain police team which used a Wolfhound device to locate his mobile phone under the ice.

“I think it's a miracle,” Alexandre Grether from the PGHM rescue team told the France 3 local news channel, adding that the man was found 2.5 metres (eight feet) below the surface.

The chances of survival after more than 20 minutes in an avalanche are usually slim.

“He was protected by a tree, that's what prevented him from being crushed by all the ice that slid down. The snow had surrounded him, but he had a pocket of air,” he explained.

The victim is expected to make a full recovery after suffering a fracture to his hip.

The avalanche risk on Thursday was at its maximum – five on a scale of five – and rescuers urge people to always check the snow conditions before venturing out.

READ ALSO 'Whole season a write-off' – what next for France's ski resorts?

Ski lifts in the Alps, which have seen some of their heaviest snowfalls in years in January, are currently closed because of restrictions imposed by the government to limit the spread of Covid-19.

Visitors and locals are free to enjoy hiking, cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing, but occupancy levels in hotels and chalets are way down and business owners and seasonal staff face serious hardships.

The government has promised an economic support package for the sector.

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