The snowboarder Julie Pomagalski lost her life in an avalanche accident on Gemsstock in the canton of Uri. She was 40 years old.
On Tuesday, March 23, 2021, shortly before 12.00 noon, the Uri canton police received the report of an avalanche in the Steintäler area in the Unteralptal. A group of four freeriders from France was on the descent from the Gemsstock.
Suddenly a slab came loose for reasons that were still unexplained. As a result, three people slide down the slope with the slab. One person was slightly injured and was flown to Uri Cantonal Hospital by Rega. The other two people were completely buried. Any help came too late for them. One of the fatalities is former professional snowboarder Julie Pomagalski.
Julie was world champion in snowboard cross in 1999 and won 34 World Cup podiums by the end of her career. In 2002 and 2006 she took part in the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City and Turin, respectively.
The accident happened on the Gemsstock
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Credits: Cover picture Olympic Channel, Press release from the Uri Cantonal Police