TL;DR
A 40-year-old Slovakian freerider has been found dead after being buried in an avalanche near Plattenspitze, above the Austrian ski resort of Obertauern. Around 60 mountain rescuers were involved in the two-day search before the skier was located roughly 2.5 metres deep using RECCO detection. He had deployed his avalanche airbag but was not carrying a transceiver. Austria's avalanche death toll this season now sits at 31 - more than double the 10-year average.
A 40-year-old skier has been found dead in avalanche debris near Obertauern, Austria, after a massive two-day search - and he wasn't carrying a transceiver.
The Slovakian freerider was reported missing on the afternoon of Friday, April 3, after failing to return from a backcountry tour in the mountains above Obertauern - a popular ski destination in Austria's Salzburg region. The avalanche struck on a northeast-facing slope near Plattenspitze, in open, uncontrolled terrain beyond the resort's managed boundaries.
Around 60 mountain rescuers were ultimately deployed across the two-day operation before the skier was located buried approximately 2.5 metres deep in the avalanche debris.
The search operation
Search efforts began on Friday evening with 15 rescuers, police, and rescue helicopters equipped with night vision. Crews identified an avalanche path and could see a single set of tracks leading into the northeast slope - but none coming out. Strong winds prevented helicopters from landing, and the search was suspended just after midnight.
Operations resumed early Saturday morning with significantly expanded resources, drawing rescue teams from the Pongau and Lungau regions, avalanche dog units, Alpine police, and Red Cross support crews. At approximately 10:50 a.m., the skier was located using a RECCO detection system and avalanche probes. Rescue officials confirmed he had died at the scene.
