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Tragic Avalanche Claims Tourist in Austrian Alps
31 Mar
Summary
- A tourist died after being buried in an 820ft-wide avalanche in Austria.
- The victim, Federico Giubilato, was skiing off-piste with a friend who survived.
- Rescue efforts were hampered by the depth of the snow and ice.
An avalanche in Austria has resulted in the death of Federico Giubilato, a tourist from northern Italy. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon while Giubilato and a friend were skiing off-piste near Marchkopf, a location within the Zillertal ski region.
The avalanche, measured at 820ft wide, trapped both individuals under approximately 5.2ft of ice and snow. Giubilato's 36-year-old friend managed to free himself, sustaining only a minor hand injury, and promptly contacted emergency services.
Rescue teams arrived via helicopter about half an hour after the alert. Digging Giubilato out took an additional 30 minutes, but by that time, the mechanical engineer had tragically passed away.
Giubilato, who was passionate about mountaineering and other extreme sports, had previously recovered from a serious injury sustained in 2019. This tragedy follows another recent fatal avalanche in Japan, where a young man named Kai Smart also died.
