An American teenager and two other people were killed in an avalanche near the Swiss resort of Zermatt, police said Tuesday. One person was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.
The avalanche occurred on Monday around 2 p.m. in an off-piste area of the Riffelberg, above the resort and below the famous Matterhorn summit. Rescuers recovered three bodies as well as the injured skier, a 20-year-old Swiss man.
The victims were a 15-year-old American boy, as well as a man and a woman whose identification has not yet been established, Valais canton police said in a statement. They gave no further details, but said they had no information at this time on the woman’s identity.
People close to the American teenager, including his swimming coaches, identified him as a student at Naperville Central High School.
Prosecutors were investigating the incident.
Last month, five members of a Swiss family were found dead after going missing while cross-country skiing near the Matterhorn in harsh weather conditions. Authorities abandoned the search for a sixth missing person a few days later.
NBC Chicago
