American skier Vonn released from hospital and ready to travel home for surgery after horror crash

American skier Lindsey Vonn will head home for surgery next week after tearing two ligaments in her right knee and breaking a bone in her lower leg in a crash at the world championships. 

U.S. Ski Team physician William Sterett was with Vonn on the snow after the crash on Tuesday, then at a Schladming hospital where she was airlifted to. 

‘She’ll be heading back to Vail (Colorado) and I will be doing surgery on her knee early next week,’ Sterett told The Associated Press on Wednesday. 

Crash: American skier Lindsey Vonn was airlifted to hospital after a horror crash in the women's Super G race at the World Alpine Skiing Championships in Schladming, Austria this afternoon

Speed: Vonn lost balance on her right leg while jumping and her ski flew off straight away. She appeared to land on her right knee

Airlift: Vonn received 12 minutes of treatment on the slopes before being taken away by helicopter

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2274369/Lindsey-Vonn-need-surgery-horror-ski-crash-Austria.html#ixzz2KDhbant0 

Snowboarders killed in avalanche

Relatives of ten people, most of them German snowboarders, who were killed by an avalanche in Russia's remote Kamchatka region at the weekend are expected to arrive at the scene of the accident today.

The ten died when the helicopter carrying them was hit by an avalanche after landing on a ski slope on Saturday. The alarm was raised after their helicopter disappeared from radio contact and a search operation was launched. The Mi-8 helicopter had been carrying 18 people, including 12 tourists from Germany and Belgium, on an extreme heli-ski trip, and had landed at the top of a slope. When rescuers arrived they found that the helicopter had been completely crushed by the avalanche and carried more than 200 metres down the slope. Two of the three crew members died, while one miraculously survived and was cut from the wreckage.

All the snowboarders had left the helicopter at the time of the avalanche – eight of them were killed, and one was seriously injured, while five were rescued unharmed. The local authorities said that the avalanche contained around 2 million cubic metres of snow, and was most likely set off by the snowboarders moving down the slope.

Kamchatka is a sparsely populated peninsula dotted with pristine lakes and active volcanoes in the Far East of Russia, thousands of miles and eight time zones away from Moscow. Every year it attracts a small number of Russian and foreign tourists seeking extreme adventure. It is perhaps the only place in the world where it is possible to ski down the edge of an active volcano while looking out over the ocean. Tourist companies based on the peninsula say they accept only extremely competent skiers and snowboarders .

Despite the fact that the peninsula is roughly twice the size of Britain, there are few populated points outside the capital, Petropavlovsk, and most transport around Kamchatka has to be done using an aging fleet of Mi-8 helicopters.

There were two teenagers on board the helicopter – a 13-year-old German boy and the 15-year-old grandson of the captain. The Russian boy died, while the German survived but lost his father to the accident. The bodies of the victims are expected to be transported to Moscow tomorrow.

British Skier Killed By Avalanche In Italy

A British skier has been killed after an avalanche in the Italian Alps, mountain rescue officials have said.

The 36-year-old man, who has been named as James Richard Ryan and is believed to come from Huddersfield, was swept away by tonnes of snow as he skied with a group of five friends and a guide, who were all British. The Foreign Office has confirmed the death, and is providing consular assistance to the family.

Mountain officials say heavy snow in the last few days means there is an increased risk of avalanches, as the fresh falls have not yet had a chance to bind to the mountains. The tragedy happened at Val Di Rhemes near Aosta at an altitude of 2,800 metres on the Mt Rosso mountain, as the group made its way down a run called the Punta Paletta.

The avalanche happened at around 5pm local time and was around 400 metres long and 100 metres wide, engulfing the victim and one of his companions immediately. Rescue teams managed to pull both men alive from the avalanche, but one died en route to the Parini hospital in Aosta.

Mountain rescue commander Delfino Viglione said: ''The group were skiing off piste when the avalanche took place.'' When asked if it had been caused by the group he said: ''That will be a question for the investigating magistrate, who has opened a file and is speaking to the group and the ski guide.''

Across the Italian Alps - which is preparing to welcome holidaymakers on Easter breaks - there was a series of avalanches over the weekend.

On Friday, a Norwegian man was killed at Courmayeur and his companion, who was skiing with him off-piste, has been charged with manslaughter for causing the avalanche. A dozen people have been killed in avalanches in the region this winter, leading officials to consider whether to launch rescue attempts for people who ignored warnings and got caught out.

Ski slope report gets green light

Councillors have approved a report recommending price rises and cuts to staff costs at Scotland's biggest artificial ski slope.

The report recommended Midlothian Ski Centre at Hillend stayed open for the next five months while a series of efficiency savings were implemented. The plan is to make it more marketable to aid the search for national backers.

Midlothian Council, Scotland's second smallest authority, has spent more than £5m subsidising the centre since 1996. The plan is for council officials to come up with a strategy for the sale or lease of the site in August. It follows Midlothian Council's announcement it could not pay the site's £500,000 a year losses.

The report, which councillors voted on on Tuesday, also said it would cost £1.2m to close the slope down as there would be £300,000 in redundancy costs and £900,000 in dismantling fees. The proposed efficiency savings include increasing charges, improving the cafe and making staff changes.

Woman dies on ski slopes

A woman from Mississauga died Wednesday after crashing into a tree while snowboarding at the Beaver Valley Ski Club east of Markdale.

Police were called to the ski club at about 11 a.m. to respond to a report of a seriously injured snowboarder, Grey County OPP said in a news release. "Investigation revealed that a 48-year-old . . . woman was snowboarding on the hill when she left the ski slope and entered a wooded area where she struck a tree."

The woman was taken by ambulance to the Markdale hospital, where she died, the release said. A post-mortem was to be held today in Barrie to determine the exact cause of death, police said. The woman's name was not being released pending notification of her family.

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Briton found dead in ski resort

A 24-year-old British man has been found dead in a ski resort, the Foreign Office said.

Police believe Paul Rea wandered off and got lost in freezing temperatures after becoming separated from friends on a night out in Pas de la Casa in Andorra. His body was discovered on Friday covered in snow in the Envalira tunnel close to the French border.

A spokesman for police in Andorra told Spanish news agency Europa Press the body showed "no signs of violence" and it was likely Mr Rea died of hypothermia. He said police believed he became "disorientated" and headed off in the wrong direction away from the centre of the resort.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in Andorra on March 12. "Next of kin are aware. We are providing consular assistance and a post-mortem is under way."

Doctor's wife dies in ski accident

A DOCTOR'S wife from Doncaster has died in a skiing accident in the Alps after tumbling 650ft down a slope and hitting a tree.

Experienced skier Brenda Smith, 56, is believed to have lost control on black ice and skidded off the piste in the French resort of Les Deux Alpes before suffering fatal head injuries. Mrs Smith was in the resort with her oral surgeon husband Keith. Dr Smith, a consultant at Sheffield's Charles Clifford Dental Hospital, was in the region for a conference.

Maurice Barker, who is married to Mrs Smith's mother Kathleen, said: "Keith is devastated. We all are, she was such a lovely woman. They went skiing twice a year. She would easily have been able to cope with a black slope." A former neighbour said: "They didn't have children and were devoted to each other.

"It's such a shock to find out that this has happened, Keith will be absolutely distraught. Brenda had an operation about six months ago on a knee she damaged whilst skiing. She has had a couple of operations as a result of skiing but it never put her off."

Scots ski resorts in bumper year

Scotland's five mountain ski areas have had their best season since 2001 with spending by winter sports enthusiasts generating £25m, Ski-Scotland has said.

Unprecedented falls of snow have been reported at CairnGorm, Glencoe, Glenshee, Nevis Range and the Lecht. National body Ski-Scotland said more snow has been forecast meaning the season could last through to May. It said local businesses, such as bed and breakfasts, have also benefitted from the numbers of people skiing.

Nevis Range managing director Marian Austin said the amount snow that has fallen has allowed it to extend its skiing area. She said: "Unlike the ski areas in the east, we do not normally ski to our car park. "But this amazing snow cover - even at low level - has allowed us to offer skiing from 1,190m (3,900ft) down to 100m (330ft), which is about 4.5km, or close to three miles."

Pieter du Pon, of the Lecht Ski Company, added: "The snow this year has been fantastic with constant cold and great skiing conditions." Snow has just piled up week after week since before Christmas, with another metre falling in 36 hours last week."

Glencoe ski site 'is world's snowiest'

The ski centre at Glencoe Mountain had the most new snow of any winter sports resort in the world on Wednesday, its operators have claimed.

Spokesman Andy Meldrum said data collected by the British Ski Club revealed the area experienced a fall of 80cm over 24 hours.

Heavy snowfalls were also experienced at other Scottish ski resorts.

Snow fell to a depth of 70cm at CairnGorm, 60cm at both The Lecht and Nevis Range, and 50cm at Glenshee. Mr Meldrum said: "We have had a colossal amount of snow. At car park level we've probably got a metre of snow. "The amount of snow on the mountain is absolutely epic." Mr Meldrum added: "We must have a metre and a half of snow up there."

Glencoe came out ahead of the Sugarbush and Mount Snow resorts in the USA which had 76cm of new snow on Wednesday.

Quarter or Bristish skiers still drunk from the night before when they hit the slopes

Almost a quarter of skiers are unknowingly taking to the slopes still drunk from the night before, a survey today shows.

As many as 23 percent of British winter sports enthusiasts have seven units of alcohol still in their blood stream when starting a morning's skiing, the poll by More Than travel insurance found. This is the equivalent of being almost twice over the legal drink-drive limit, with morning skiers in this condition not likely to come down to the four-unit mark until at least 11am.

The poll of 1,072 skiers and snowboarders also showed that 74 percent reckoned drinking heavily the night before did not affect their skiing ability the next day. As many as 45 percent planned to drink every night during a winter sports' trip, while 31 percent wrongly believed their insurance would not be affected if they cause a serious accident on the slopes having drunk heavily the night before.

More Than spokesman Pete Markey said: 'The findings of the research are extremely concerning. 'Brits abroad have a reputation for drinking to excess but throw a high-speed downhill sport into the mix and you have a very nasty combination. 'Drink-driving is severely frowned upon and drink-skiing should be too. It can be just as dangerous.'

UK weather colder than European ski resorts

Parts of the UK were colder than European ski resorts last night as temperatures matched their lowest levels so far this winter.

The temperature in Benson, Oxfordshire, and Woodford, Greater Manchester, reached -18C, a degree lower than some manufacturers recommend for freezing food at home and 2C warmer than the south pole – although it is the height of summer in the southern hemisphere. By comparison, the popular ski destinations of Davos, in Switzerland, and St Anton, in Austria, saw temperatures of -12C and -8C respectively.

A low of -18C was recorded earlier this winter – in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, on 29 December.

Snow brings delight to ski centres

Scotland's ski centres said they had enjoyed the best start to the season in decades thanks to the continued cold snap.

Heavy snowfalls and consistently low temperatures have led to a bumper year for ski centre visitors, despite severe weather warnings and problems on many of the surrounding roads.

The Nevis Range centre in Fort William has enjoyed its busiest start to the ski season for a decade, while the Cairngorms centre, near Aviemore, reported the best snowfall it had seen since 1996.

Avalanche buries ski patroller

A member of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski patrol suffered critical injuries when he was buried in an avalanche Wednesday, officials said.

Mark Wolling, 58, was caught in the slide at about 8:25 a.m., before the slopes were open to the public, as he and other patrollers conducted avalanche hazard reduction work in the Cheyenne Bowl at an elevation of 9,350 feet. Wolling, a Jackson resident known by the nickname "Big Wally," and another patrol member were setting off explosive devices called hand charges when the avalanche triggered above them, according to a resort news release.

The other patroller was able to stop himself on a tree but Wolling was swept up in the sliding snow. Wolling was carried along for most of the 1,000-foot slide, including over a 25-foot cliff, according to the resort. It took fellow patrollers about 10 minutes to find Wolling, who was buried in about 6 feet of snow.

Wolling was rushed to the Teton Village Clinic and then St. John's Medical Center in Jackson. He was flown Wednesday afternoon to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, where a hospital spokeswoman said he was in critical condition. "It has been an extremely tough morning for all our patrollers and staff," Jerry Blann, resort president, said in a statement. "I am very grateful to everyone for their efforts. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mark and his family right now."

Wolling has been on the ski patrol since 1989 and has worked for the resort in other capacities since 1978, said Anna Olson, a resort spokeswoman. "His family are aware, and we have a lot of people looking out for him," Olson said.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort had received 10 inches of snow in the 24 hours before the avalanche occurred and substantial snowfall in the previous week. Wolling was in the upper area of the Cheyenne Bowl when the avalanche occurred, Olson said. The area has not been open to the public this season because of insufficient snow.

11 year old boy collapses & dies while skiing down hill

An 11-year-old Newton boy reportedly collapsed and died while skiing with his father and brothers Sunday in New Hampshire.

The boy was identified by school officials as Joseph Kelly Heilbron, a fifth-grader at the Pierce School, according to the Newton Tab. Josephwas the youngest of six children. Police in Henniker were unavailable for comment last night. The ski facility Pat’s Peak in Henniker, N.H., did not return a call for comment.

Officials at Joseph’s school told the newspaper the boy’s death has shocked and saddened the entire community. “The mood of the school is very sad and (this was) very sudden. This was a very sweet child that was an integral part of our school,” Interim Principal Ruth H. Chapman told the paper.

According to a letter Chapman sent home to parents, Joseph was on the last run down a hill and winning a race with his father and brothers when his body gave out and he collapsed, she wrote. Grief counselors were on hand for students at the boy’s school yesterday.

Girl falls from ski-lift

Police are looking for a German couple who fled after a 10 year old girl was seriously injured when she plunged 30ft from a ski lift.

Emily O'Rourke from Mullingar, Ireland, dangled for nearly a minute before she slipped from the grasp of fellow skiers onto the ice and snow below in Westendorf, Austria. Yesterday she was being treated for three cracked vertebrae in hospital in nearby Sankt Johann. Soctors said they expected her to make a full recovery after Sunday's fall.

Skiers watching from the ground said they had seen the unidentified German pair clinging onto the child. Police said they grabbed Emily and according to witnesses tried to hang on to her until the lift could reach the landing station – but she fell to the ground when they could no longer hold on. The couple were initially praised but refused to discuss how the lift bar had been raised during the trip and then fled saying they wanted to enjoy their remaining time on the slopes.

Hansjoerg Kogler, the boss of the lift company Bergbahnen Westendorf, said: "I really cannot understand their behaviour. We wanted to question the couple about the events, but they were not co-operative, they had nothing to say, they said they only had half day passes and therefore wanted to go skiing.

"There are still many open questions about how the accident could have occurred. The couple did not even leave their contact details in case of any inquiries and of course now we need to speak to them to see what went wrong."

Police said that adults travelling with children had a duty of responsibility to make sure the safety bar was down and that they were secure.

Best skiing in 14 years at resort

A Highlands winter sports centre said it has had its best Christmas holiday season in 14 years.

CairnGorm Mountain said over a four-day period following Christmas Day it has had more than 8,000 skiers and snowboarders using its runs. The resort in the Cairngorms near Aviemore said blizzard conditions forecast for Thursday were expected to give way to bright sunshine on Friday.

Further snowfalls were expected over the weekend.

In 2007, Scottish ski resorts said they were suffering one of their worst seasons in years. A lack of snow and the presence of high winds were blamed for keeping skiers and snowboarders off the slopes. Bosses of the Glencoe Mountain Resort, meanwhile, have been working with government agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in drawing up plans for the future.

Scotland's oldest ski centre was taken over by a consortium of winter sports enthusiasts earlier this year. Headed by businessman Andy Meldrum, the group plan to develop the site as an all-year venue through the creation of mountain bike trails.

An adventure playground and a revamp of the cafe have also been proposed.

Riddle as ski body had no shoes

Ski Brit Myles Robinson had no shoes on when his body was found, it emerged last night.

Sources in the Swiss resort of Wengen revealed he was wearing just one sock at the foot of an icy ravine.

Initial tests show the 6ft 5ins former public schoolboy, from Wandsworth, South London, was four times over the drink-drive limit.

But Newcastle University graduate Myles's relatives don't think he fell and suspect foul play.

They are demanding more answers from Swiss police.

2 other Devil's Head ski lifts need repairs, inspector says

After a ski lift malfunction injured 14 skiers and snowboarders at Devil's Head Ski Resort in Merrimac, a state inspector found two more ski lifts at the facility that require replacement of devices that would prevent a similar accident.

The inspector recommended replacing anti-rollback devices on two other ski lifts so the ski chairs won't begin moving backward.

On Dec. 17 one of the ski lifts began moving backward, prompting many people to jump off. When a state inspector arrived the next day she saw three chairs had come off the wire rope near the loading area and another chair had come off at the first tower. She also noticed the anti-rollback device was rusted and corroded.

Early season snow spells holiday weekend relief for Tahoe ski resorts

Heavy snowfall is coming early this year, and area ski resorts couldn't be happier on the eve of some big holiday weekends.

“There's never enough snow — we always want more,” said Kirstin Cattell, Northstar-at-Tahoe's communications manager. “But I think last year proved that skiers and snowboarders who want to come out will come out.” A year ago, the Lake Tahoe Basin didn't see its first significant snowstorm until around Christmas, and not much fell the entire season after that.

This year, two major snowstorms hit the Tahoe/Truckee area the past two weekends, leaving many downhill resorts with as much as 60 to 75 inches at upper levels. All but Diamond Peak, Homewood and Tahoe Donner Downhill — which open this week — are open for the season. Savannah Cowley, spokeswoman at Squaw Valley USA, said the resort is optimistic about the early snow and already have more bookings than last year.

“As a lot of the locals know, the past four winters have been pretty late, and we have always been scrambling to get the resorts open,” she said.

From December 6-13 this year, Cowley said Squaw accumulated 78 inches of snow. While this year's early-season snow is appreciated, Cattell said the month of February — the ski season's typical highest snowfall month — will decide if this year will be a prosperous.

According to the National Weather Service in Reno, after a likely chance of a rain/snow mix Wednesday, high temperatures should hover around 40 degrees into next weekend, with little or no snow in the forecast.