The holidays and the beautiful weather attracted many people to the great outdoors and the ski slopes. However, this has also lead to many accidents. Between Christmas and 2 January, the Rega went out to attend approximately 350 casualties, which averages more than 40 a day. From 20-30 December, the Air-Glaciers carried out a total of 145 rescue missions, with 24 deployed from the Lauterbrunnen base and 19 from the Saanen base. From 31 December to 2 January, another 65 missions took place, 14 of them in the Bernese Oberland and 8 from the Saanen base.

On days when the weather was fine, Rega was deployed between 50 and 70 times. Only once was an avalanche the reason for a rescue operation. On all other call-outs, the Rega went out to help injured winter athletes, who suffered mainly shoulder and back injuries, fractures and concussion.

A girl has died after a skiing accident
On 27 December, there was a particularly tragic incident at Lenk. A four-year-old girl died after a skiing accident, according to reports from the Bern Cantonal Police. Initial reports state that there was a collision between a skier and a girl from the canton of Bern. The girl was skiing with her family in the area above the Metsch middle station. The child was seriously injured. After an immediate rescue operation, she was flown by an Air-Glaciers helicopter to the hospital. She sadly died there on Friday 28 December late in the evening. The Bern Cantonal Police, overseen by the Regional Public Prosecutor’s Office, have begun investigations into the accident.

Justine Hewson / AvS

Tips for preventing accidents

Every year, around 76,000 people are injured in Swiss ski resorts. In order to prevent accidents, there’s a continuous drive to improve equipment safety and safety on the slopes. In addition, winter sports enthusiasts can do a lot to help themselves when it comes to reducing the risk of injury.

According to a press release issued by the Advisory Centre for Accident Prevention (the bfu), in over half of all skiing accidents, people suffer injuries to their legs. “Many winter sports enthusiasts lack strength, endurance and coordination. However, these are critical because skiing and snowboarding involve complex movements,” according to bfu snow sports expert Benedikt Heer. He recommends specific preparation training: “Before the season begins, it’s important to strengthen the torso and leg muscles, as well as practicing to improve your balance.” Having the right equipment also reduces the risk. “Before the start of every season, ski bindings should be adjusted in a specialist shop and checked by a binding adjustment test device,” says bfu expert Heer. Bindings that have been properly adjusted help to prevent injury to the lower legs and ankles.