Avalanche tragedy: Australian snowboarders recovering
The death of a Melbourne woman who was swept away in an avalanche in the Austrian Alps has been declared a tragic accident.
The 27-year-old was snowboarding off-piste with three friends at St Anton ski resort in the state of Tyrol in the far west, when tragedy struck.
Narak Mam, 30, was seriously injured. He was flown to an Innsbruck hospital, 80km to the east. His girlfriend, Tran Tuay, was also caught up in the ordeal.
The unpatrolled run known as Hinter Rendi is notorious among regular skiers in the region.
Australian Barney Craddick, who has been a ski instructor for 17 years, said the group's biggest mistake was not taking an experienced guide and they may have been unaware of the dangers.
"They've come straight off the lift, they've seen a gully that's untracked, and thought this is going to be great. They've skied down it and been very unlucky."
Local police have wrapped up their investigation, concluding that the avalanche was a tragic accident.
Locals say the tragedy could have been prevented by not going down that side of the mountain at all.
For skiers and snowboarders at St Anton, the threat of snow falling away from under them is always real.
21 people have died on Austria's slopes this season.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it is providing consular assistance to the woman's family.
