Italian avalanche accidents

1. photo: Valgrisenche, 20 apr 2012
Avalanche accidents in Italy
Season 2011-2012

2. 2011-2012: poor in snow; less accidents than usual
Italian Alps: winter very poor in snow, till
April.
Good or very good quantities only in the
borders with France, Switzerland and
Austria (the places where the majority of avalanche
accidents occurred)

3. AUTONOME PROVINZ BOZEN - SÜDTIROL PROVINCIA AUTONOMA DI BOLZANO - ALTO ADIGE

4. AUTONOME PROVINZ BOZEN - SÜDTIROL PROVINCIA AUTONOMA DI BOLZANO - ALTO ADIGE

5. The Apennines Adriatic
sea
Tirrenian
sea
Emilia Romagna
region in 10 days of
snow (beginning of
February): up to 300
cm of snow at an
altitude of 280 m
above the sea

6. Civil Protection and Army

7. Avalanche fatalities in Italy 1986-2012
In Italy on average there are 13 avalanche fatalities each season

8. Avalanche victims in Italy 1986-2012
In Italy on average (linear media) 18 persons die every year in avalanche fatalities

9. 5
2 Victims in Italy by Regions –
1
1
season 2011/2012

10. Avalanche accidents rate by
category in Italy 2011-2012
Backcountry skiing 67%

11. Avalanche victims by category
2011-2012
9 victims:
4 backcountry skiing
 1 beacon broken during falling and 1 beacon not
working (turned off?)
2 freeride (heliskiing)
3 alpinism  all without beacon

12. Avalanche accidents and
professionals – 2011-2012:
7 avalanche accidents (17%) with
professionals involved (directly or with clients involved):
6 accidents  Mountain guides and Ski
instructors
1 accident  Mountain hut guardian

13. Avalanche accidents and foreign
people – 2011-2012:
13 avalanche accidents (31%) with foreigns
involved:
mainly German and Switzerland,
then Austrian, French, Spanish, Danish, Belgian

14. Avalanche airbag
2011-2012
2 Heliski accidents:
1 airbag deployed: 1 client heliski, totally buried, companion
rescue with transceiver (dead for trauma)
1 airbag deployed and 1 airbag not deployed:
• 1st client, airbag deployed, not buried, uninjured
• 2nd client: airbag not deployed, totally buried (30-40 cm),
dead for asphyxia after 20 minutes
camera on helmet: not try to deploy airbag and wearing
the strap of ski poles

15. survival under the avalanche:
1 backcountry skier alone:
to "escape" from the strong and cold winds, moves to a SW
slope and triggers the single slab in an area poor in
snow. The blocks are very compact: a lot of air available
and is well dressed (was descending), protected from
the wind and the cold.
Found alive (slightly injured) after 4 hours and 5 minutes

16. Photo: Aosta Valley, Mont Blanc area 17 feb 2012
cable car
40° - 45°
for further informations: aineva@aineva.it