SCHLADMINGER TAUERN, Austria, April 4, 2026
A 40-year-old skier died Friday after being buried by an avalanche in the Schladminger Tauern mountains of Austria. The victim was located using the RECCO rescue system, which detects reflectors embedded in outdoor gear, after being buried approximately 2.5 meters deep on the Plattenspitze peak at 2,294 meters elevation. Despite deploying an avalanche airbag, the skier did not survive. Around 15 mountain rescuers searched for the missing skier Friday evening but suspended operations due to darkness, according to multiple sources. The avalanche danger level for the area had been rated as "moderate" (level 2) for elevations above 2,000 meters that day. Officials noted the avalanche report had warned of hard-to-detect snowdrift accumulations that could be triggered by minor additional weight. The skier was not carrying an avalanche transceiver at the time of the incident. The incident occurred in a popular backcountry skiing region spanning Salzburger Lungau and Pongau districts. No further details about the victim's identity were immediately released.