Innsbruck — in the period from February 13 to 22, 2026, according to information from the alpine police, five fatal incidents were registered; in total, during this stretch of time, employees had to process about 60 operational calls in the mountains.
As the Tyrol alpine police reported, among the registered cases were situations where groups of up to 15 people were struck. Additionally, numerous so-called negative avalanches had to be checked — descents where it was initially unclear whether people were under the snow. Such a frequency of events highlights the extremely critical state of affairs outside of prepared trails.
Intensive work of rescue services
The helicopter of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and its crew were involved as actively as possible during these days. Besides rescue and evacuation operations, personnel and equipment were transferred to high-mountain terrain under difficult conditions. Interaction between the alpine police, mountain rescue service, aviation police, dispatch centers, and other organizations proceeded professionally and effectively, the regional police department reported.
State Police Director Helmut Tomac expressed sincere gratitude to all participants: The past days showed with what professionalism, readiness, and comradeship the operational organizations cooperate in the mountains of Tyrol. Special thanks to the employees of the mountain rescue service, aviation police, crews of medical helicopters, dispatchers, and all officers of the alpine police, as well as other involved organizations. Their work in difficult conditions, often at significant threat to their own lives, is a substantial contribution to safety in the alpine region of Tyrol.
Avalanche danger remains high — an appeal to athletes
The threat of avalanche descent, according to law enforcement data, remains high in many parts of Tyrol (level four on a five-point scale). This level means that avalanches can be provoked even with slight additional load, and spontaneous descents are possible at any time. It is noteworthy that a large part of the accidents over the last two weeks occurred in off-piste skiing zones.
Taking into account the established circumstances, the alpine police issued an urgent appeal to all winter sports enthusiasts: at the present time, one should abandon ski tours and off-piste skiing, limiting stays only to prepared and open trails. In addition, it is recommended before each outing to study the current avalanche situation in detail and not to underestimate the problem of old snow, as well as fresh accumulations of snowdrifts.
Important rules of conduct and personal responsibility
In the event that an avalanche descent occurred without the burial of people under the snow, the police ask to immediately report this to the corresponding dispatch center. This will allow for avoiding labor-intensive and personnel-demanding search operations, preserving the strength of rescuers for emergency calls and measures to save lives.
Patience and restraint are of decisive importance in the current phase, authorities noted. Whoever now makes a conscious decision to refuse risk protects themselves and does not endanger the lives of rescue organization employees.Source: Rosenheim24
Latest Posts
