Overview
- An avalanche on Jan. 11 around 12:15 on the east side of Hockuchriz in Lötschental at roughly 2,400 meters swept up a snowboarder for reasons not yet clarified.
- He was recovered by rescuers and airlifted by multiple helicopters to hospitals in Visp and then Sion, where he died.
- Authorities and Swiss-Ski identified the victim as Ueli Kestenholz, 50.
- A companion who was touring on skis reached safety uninjured and joined the search, according to reports.
- Kestenholz earned Olympic bronze in Nagano in 1998 and later won world and X Games titles before retiring after the 2006 Turin Olympics.