Four Easter Avalanche Deaths in the Alps

by admin in RSS Social News. Posted April 6, 2026

A 35-year-old man was buried by an avalanche on a slope near Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland on Good Friday.

The avalanche occurred on the Schwarzbirg in Isenfluh.

Two people were on a descent when a snow slab broke loose.

Other skiers in the area were able to locate the buried victim, dig him out and provide first aid.

However, after attempting resuscitation, the emergency services were ultimately only able to determine that the 35-year-old Bernese man had died, the police said in a statement.

In another incident mountaineer died on the Gross Mythen in central Switzerland after being swept down a rock face by an avalanche.

Two young men hiked from Brunni in the direction of Holzegg on Good Friday morning, according to the Schwyz cantonal police.

From there, equipped with ropes, they set off on the hiking trail towards the summit of the Gross Mythen.

Due to the considerable amount of snow, they abandoned their tour shortly before 2pm.

On the descent, the mountaineers were caught up in the avalanche.

The identity of the deceased person has not been released.

In the third incident a 41-year-old man died in an avalanche in Sangernboden in the canton of Bern on Good Friday.

The avalanche occurred at around 12.15 p.m. in Sangernboden in the municipality of Rüschegg, as reported by the Bern cantonal police on Saturday.

The snowboarder was on the descent towards the Gantrischhütte when a snow slab broke loose on the north-east side of the Bürgle.

The man was swept away by the avalanche and buried.

The emergency services were immediately called out and were only able to recover the man dead,

The deceased was a 41-year-old Swiss man from the canton of Fribourg.

The fourth Easter victim was caught in Austria.

The 40-year-old man had been skiing on the slopes of Plattenspitze mountain in the Salzburg region when the avalanche struck on Good Friday.

Rescuers helicoptered to the site on Saturday found the body under 2m of snow, police said.

This winter, since October 1^st, 139 people have died in avalanches in Europe according to the European Avalanche Warning Services:

Italy – 38
France – 31
Austria – 30
Switzerland – 18
Spain – 8
Slovakia – 6
Slovenia – 3
Andorra – 2
Poland – 1
Norway – 1

There have been no recorded fatalities in The Czech Republic, Iceland, Sweden and Scotland.

The danger is often not easy to recognise, even for experts.

The vast majority of victims were caught in wind slab avalanches or collapses linked to persistent weak layers buried deep within the snow, often triggered by skiers after fresh downfalls.

We have reported on the accidents on PlanetSKI across the winter:

Most occurred in a concentrated 2-month period from late December to late February.

In France 30 of the 31 total fatalities were between 26th December and 22nd February.

Though the number is above the annual average it is not outside the expected parameters, that range from 60 to 140 depending on the overall stability of the snowpack.

Variations in avalanche fatalities are very weather dependent.

What is interesting this winter is the number of experiences skiers caught – ski patrollers, guides, off piste instructors, experienced ski tourers and members of alpine clubs.

As winter draws to a close the risk remains.

Image c/o Swiss Institute for Snow & Avalanche Research.

April sees the start of the main off piste ski touring season and the authorities advise caution.

Val Thorens/Orelle, France. Image © PlanetSKI

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