TL;DR
A significant avalanche at Austria's Stubai Glacier on Thursday morning caught eight skiers in off-piste terrain, triggering one of the season's largest rescue operations. While all skiers managed to free themselves before emergency services arrived, three required medical treatment for injuries. The incident involved nearly 250 rescue personnel and highlights the elevated avalanche risk during early season conditions across Austrian ski areas.
Eight Skiers Caught in Major Stubai Glacier Avalanche Sparking 250-Person Rescue Operation
A significant avalanche at Stubai Glacier in Austria's Tyrol region has caught eight skiers in off-piste terrain, triggering one of the early season's largest rescue operations involving 250 emergency personnel.
The avalanche occurred around 9:15 am on Thursday, 27 November, in the freeride terrain east of the Daunscharte. The slide swept down onto slope 9 (Kogelferner), though police have confirmed no skiers on marked pistes were affected. The Austrian Alpine Organisation believes the avalanche was most likely triggered by skiers in the area.
Eight Skiers Caught in Massive Avalanche at Stubai Glacier
All eight individuals caught in the slide were skiing in off-piste terrain at the time. Five escaped without injury, while three required medical attention. Two were airlifted to Hall Hospital by emergency helicopter. The injured include a 23-year-old German with an arm injury, a 21-year-old Innsbruck resident with a knee injury, and another 21-year-old with a minor shoulder injury who was able to ski down independently.
