Police stated on Tuesday that an American teen and two others died in an avalanche close to the Swiss resort of Zermatt. One person sustained severe wounds and was airlifted to a hospital.
American Teen , 2 Others Fall Victim to Avalanche Near Swiss Resort
The avalanche happened around 2 p.m. on Monday in an off-piste area of Riffelberg, located above the resort and below the renowned Matterhorn peak. Rescuers recovered three bodies and helped the injured skier, revealed as a 20-year-old Swiss man.
According to authorities in Valais canton, the casualties include a 15-year-old American boy and a man and woman whose identities are still pending validation. They provided no additional details, stating that the female's identity remains unknown.
Prosecutors have started an investigation into the circumstances.
Just last month, five members of a Swiss family were identified as died after becoming lost while cross-country skiing near the Matterhorn amid difficult weather conditions. Authorities ended the search for a sixth missing individual several days later.
Avalanche Incidents in 2024
Two people from New Zealand, including a 21-year-old ski guide, have died in an avalanche while backcountry skiing in Japan. New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade verified that two people had died in what they stated as "a tragic accident" in Hokkaido. Additionally, a third New Zealander sustained wounds.
As per local media reports, a group of six people were backcountry skiing on Mount Yotei in the northern Hokkaido region on Monday morning when an avalanche happened at an elevation of 650 to 700 meters on the mountain's northern side. The neighboring Kutchan fire department received notice around 11 am that three members of the group had been caught in the avalanche.
A man and a woman were transferred to the hospital not responsive and were later announced dead, while a third person suffered a shoulder injury but remained responsive, as reported.
The family of Isabella Bolton verified her involvement in the circumstances in a statement to local New Zealand media. They conveyed their condolences to her colleague and friend who also badly lost their life and thanked those who tried to rescue Isabella and the local authorities.
Bolton, originally from England and raised in Christchurch's Diamond Harbour and Heathcote Valley, had worked on ski fields in New Zealand, Canada, and most recently as a ski guide in the Hokkaido ski resort Niseko.
Described as full of energy and passion for life, with an adventurous spirit and love for skiing and the outdoors, Isabella's family extended their deepest sympathy to her colleague's family and friends.
The Sapporo District Meteorological Observatory reported that no avalanche warning had been circulated for the Mount Yotei area, nor was there heavy snowfall around the time of the circumstances.
The New Zealand embassy in Japan has offered consular support to the families of those affected.
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