Ueli Kestenholz died in an avalanche accident in Valais on Sunday. The snowboarder and extreme sportsman was only 50 years old.
As the "Berner Zeitung" writes, the well-known former professional snowboarder and extreme sportsman Ueli Kestenholz died in an avalanche accident on Sunday.
According to the Valais cantonal police, an avalanche accident occurred in the Valais mountains on Sunday, January 11, at around 12.15 pm. According to the report, a snowboarder and a skier were on the east side of the "Hockuchriz" and were heading in the direction of "Schreja".
"At an altitude of around 2,400 meters, an avalanche broke loose for unknown reasons and swept the snowboarder away," says the press release. While the skier was able to get to safety, the snowboarder was buried by the masses of snow.
The 50-year-old man was eventually rescued by his comrades and by emergency services from the Valais cantonal rescue organization. Three helicopters from Air Zermatt were also deployed. The injured man was first flown by helicopter to Visp Hospital and then transferred to Sion Hospital. There he succumbed to his injuries.
The "Berner Zeitung" has learned from people close to the man that the victim was Ueli Kestenholz.
Kestenholz celebrated great successes
Kestenholz celebrated great success as a snowboarder. At the Olympic Games in Nagano (1998), he won bronze in the giant slalom. At the 2003 and 2004 X-Games, he won gold in snowboard cross. He has celebrated 14 World Cup victories in his career. He later made headlines as an extreme athlete. Kestenholz repeatedly posted spectacular videos on his Instagram channel.
