A British skier has died after he lost control on a Swiss Alpine piste and crashed into a river.
The 54-year-old man was skiing near Grindelwald, a popular village in Switzerland’s Bernese Alps, when the accident occurred on Friday, April 11.
He was airlifted to hospital in Bern after being pulled from the Rychenbach Stream by fellow skiers who witnessed the incident.
Despite medical efforts, the unnamed Briton succumbed to multiple injuries and died the following day.
Tourists skiing in Kleine Scheidegg near Grindelwald (file pic)
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The man had been on an authorised run from the 6,800-foot-high Kleine Scheidegg pass toward Brandegg when he suddenly veered off the marked piste.
Police said he lost control and crashed off the slope before falling into the Rychenbach Stream. According to authorities, he “remained lying there motionless” after plunging into the water.
The circumstances that caused the skier to veer off course are currently under investigation by regional prosecutors.
Fellow skiers who witnessed the accident provided immediate first aid and alerted emergency services.
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The town of Grindelwald in Switzerland
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The injured man was quickly airlifted to hospital in the Swiss capital Bern.
Despite medical intervention, he died from multiple injuries the following day, April 12.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who died in Switzerland.”
The identity of the 54-year-old has not been publicly disclosed by authorities.
The Rychenbach Stream is known worldwide for its cultural significance in literature.
It was made famous as the dramatic setting for the final showdown between Sherlock Holmes and his arch-enemy Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Fall.
The location is marked by a plaque stating: “At this fearful place, Sherlock Holmes vanquished Professor Moriarty, on 4 May 1891.”
Last winter saw 28 fatal accidents in the Swiss Alps, the highest number in five years according to the Swiss Alpine Club. Off-piste skiing accounts for 85 per cent of fatal winter sports accidents in the area.
In February, another British skier, aged 23, was found dead at the bottom of a cliff in the French Alps after reportedly falling from a height while returning from an après ski party in Avoriaz.