Skiers flew over the edge like dolls, Dutchwoman Inge was crushed to death: huge interest in lawsuit over 'slippery' ski slope in Austria | outside

According to the Austrian court, the matter is clear: the ski slope on the Hintertux Glacier in Austria was never supposed to open on New Year's morning in 2023. The track was simply “life-threatening.”

According to a ski expert at the Austrian court, there were “all sorts of things” wrong on the slopes on New Year's Day. The gist of it: The weather was humid and the water vapor and fog turned the track into an ice rink. Skiing was almost impossible. But the path is open, with all its consequences.

The young Dutch woman who died was called Inge. She fell hard around 10am and slid 100m down the track. It shot through the marking net, flew 27 meters into the air and landed in a tree. She died at the scene of her injury. Her friend Lisa fell almost simultaneously; She landed on a rock and broke her back. In addition to the two Dutch women, five other skiers flew over the edge that morning. Some victims had decades of skating experience. They were injured too.

German tourist Beate Kugel was seriously injured, just like Dutchwoman Lisa: she fractured her skull when she hit rocks dozens of meters below. Kugel is still in bad shape and will need some additional surgeries for her recovery. Today she entered the courtroom limping with the help of walking sticks. “It was so slippery, it looked like an ice hockey rink. I couldn't move when I slid away.

Almost all witnesses stated that they fell “without any chance.” Some took others with them in their downfall. Dozens of people slid down the ice rink. Those who were “lucky” did not fly over the edge and came out with only a broken hand or bruises.

Klaus D., the 65-year-old director of the Zillertaler Glacierbahn and two of his employees, Michael J. (34 years old) and Marcus Yu (24 years old), are on trial today on charges of manslaughter and causing grievous bodily harm by gross negligence. . All three pleaded not guilty. They did what they always did that morning. “The conditions weren't harsh, they were slippery,” Yu said.

According to their lawyer Andreas Grabenweger, there were exceptional circumstances that caused the track to suddenly become icy early in the morning. Climatologist Karl Gabel said in a report that a “shift in snow cover” is occurring.

There is significant interest in the lawsuit by the Austrian media and ski lift operators. The ruling could have serious consequences for the safety requirements imposed on ski areas.

The Dutch women Lisa and Rutger told their story a few weeks ago to our colleagues at AD.nl. Today they are also witnesses in the courtroom in Innsbruck. Lisa said they went down very carefully. “We encountered more pieces of ice so we said to each other: 'Be careful. We are going very slowly, even though it will take a long time to reach the bottom.'” But at the scene of the disaster there was no stopping it.

There was more wrong than just the icy path. That morning, no one from the ski lift company came down to check the slope to make sure everything was safe. This is mandatory. When Judge Norbert Hofer asked why the track was not checked, the three suspects had no answer.

Could the ski slope have been opened if the ice section had been discovered earlier? Was it a red line as shown? According to the ski expert, the slope of this section was very steep and the slope should have been classified as “black” – the steepest and most difficult category. Of the nearly 400-meter stretch, only 39 meters were red. The rest was sharper, black. “If the track had been marked in black, it would have been possible to at least warn the victims that it was a difficult section. The red color means that even intermediate skiers can do the slopes,” the prosecutor said.

The majority of skiers ignore the black slopes because they consider them too dangerous. “This part of the slope was the only way into the valley. If you did not do it on skis, you would have to go down using two or three gondola lifts. It will take half an hour, which of course is not “Attractive to tourists, so the businessman wants to keep that open.” He supports the Dutch victims.

The people who fell didn't have a chance. Whoever falls on a black slope does not stay at the bottom, but rather slides and accelerates. The women likely flew toward rocks and trees at a speed of about 50 kilometers per hour. Reconstructions of accidents on the slopes and interpretations show that some people slid up to 100 meters on the ice rink. The net in front of the cliff was a marking net and not suitable for catching people.

Why wasn't the track closed? The file shows an employee reported it was dangerous at that location, but the track was only closed after the horrific incidents occurred. Stachowicz: “The manager did nothing after that call. The guy who was on site had been working on that track for a long time. He should have acted immediately and shut down the track. That was his job.” Track employees said they “always did it that way.” “Method”.

Where does the skier's responsibility end and the ski lift operator's responsibility begin? This question is central for the judge in Innsbruck today. Klaus D., Michael J.,. And Marcus Yu, they could get serious prison sentences for their negligence and a hefty fine for the elevator operator.

A total of sixteen people will be in the witness box. Questions will also be asked about materials obtained by victims. Were the skis sharp enough? However, according to Stachowicz, research showed conclusively that it was too icy to ski. “It's also possible that people who can ski well with perfectly sharp skis have fallen here. When you buy a lift ticket, you enter into a contract. You have to make sure you can ski, and the lift operator has to make sure the slopes are safe.”