Dutch woman, 28, dies in icy Austria ski accident; Friend seriously injured

One Dutch woman was killed, and another was critically injured accident on an icy ski slope at the Hintertux Gletsjer in the Austrian Alps. Two Dutch men they were skiing with were not injured, but two German people were also hurt at the same location soon after the incident involving the Dutch people.

It happened on New Year’s Day at about 10:15 a.m., according to a press release from LPD Tirol, the local police. The two Dutch couples were on the Number 1 red run at the glacier, known as Black Pan, which was icy at the time. The two men in the group navigated the piste without an issue, but the Dutch women both fell independently of each other.

The 28-year-old woman slid uncontrolled for about 100 meters down the slope before crashing through a safety net. She then dropped about 20 meters, and struck a tree at full speed. Her injuries were fatal, police said.

Her 27-year-old friend fell at almost the same time, police said. She slid over the edge of the slope, then fell into a rocky area. “The woman sustained serious injuries. She was flown to Kufstein Hospital in a rescue helicopter and transferred from there to the Innsbruck Clinic,” police said.

One hurt a half-hour later at the same spot; Other serious injuries near the Black Pan

Just 30 minutes later, a 55-year-old German woman crashed on the same run and also slid over the edge of the slope, dropping about 10 meters into a “rocky, lightly wooded area,” police said. She was also brought by helicopter to the Innsbruck Clinic with serious injuries.

At a different run on the same glacier, a 56-year-old German man also suffered an eye injury when he fell and crashed into a piste sign. He was also flown to the Innsbruck Clinic. About an hour later at 3:30 p.m., not far from there at the Ischgl ski area, a boulder rolled down a black run and struck a 49-year-old German on the thigh. He was taken by helicopter to an area hospital with a serious leg injury, police said.

A 40-year-old German was also badly injured at Obendorf after falling on a black run. He then slid about 300 meters in an uncontrolled manner. He was rescued by a helicopter crew who took him to a hospital in Salzburg.

Dutch victims in earlier accidents

Several other Dutch people were hurt earlier in the ski season, according to NOS. A 12-year-old girl died over Christmas when she skied off-piste and struck a tree.

A 62-year-old Dutch woman was also seriously hurt that Sunday. She and another person on the slopes crashed onto each other.