Avalanche triggered by skiers, court hears

the inside track

An avalanche in New Zealand was triggered by skiers failing to stick to a recommended route, a court has heard in New Zealand.

Avalanche Tragedy
The tragic incident occurred in July last year, when an Australian heliskiier, Lylnden Riethmullter, died while skiing with companions at Ragged Range, near Methven.

Evidence was heard at a local court yesterday that the victim, along with his friend and son, were accompanied by two Methven Heliski guides.

The trio were left stranded waist-high in snow, and Mr Riethmuller did not survive after being buried in freezing conditions for up to 8 minutes.

Inquest Details
At the inquest, the lead guide on duty, Kevin Boekholt, stated to the court that he had taken all safety precautions and had the advised the group to follow his tracks.

He argued the group veered onto weak snow against his advice, and did not ski as a group, factors which could have prevented the avalanche from occurring.

The inquest continues in New Zealand.

[Source: stuff.co.nz]

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