Pictured: 16-year-old boy killed in an avalanche in front of his family
The 16-year-old tragically killed in an avalanche in front of his family has been identified as a Sydney International Grammar School student.
Max Meyer was skiing in St Anton am Arlberg in Austria when he was buried under a huge wall of snow.
His family watched on helplessly, unable to save the teenager without emergency supplies or a shovel.
Local police said the boy died after the family found themselves in rough, untracked and very steep terrain on Wednesday.
As they were waiting for a rescue team, a slab of snow broke away, causing an avalanche that covered the 16-year-old boy and his German mother.
“The woman was able to free herself from the snow and remained unhurt,” a police statement said.
“The avalanche came to a standstill at the bottom of the valley and had a thickness of up to four metres.”
International Grammar School principal Shauna Colnan said she broke the tragic news to students on Thursday.
“Max Meyer was about to enter Year 11, and his life has been tragically cut short,” she told Yahoo News in a statement.
“I have spoken with Max’s father and have extended my deepest condolences on behalf of the IGS school community, and offered the family all of our support.
“We will continue to support the family through the coming days and beyond. I have also advised our school community that if they need support, they can reach out to our counsellors and to senior staff and me for help.”
A report is being prepared for the coroner.
Yahoo7 News has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
