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Snowboarder Sophie Hediger died in an avalanche in Arosa, Switzerland this week, the Swiss Ski Association announced in a statement.
“For the Swiss Ski family, the tragic death of Sophie Hediger has cast a dark shadow over the Christmas holidays. We are immeasurably sad. We will keep an honourable memory of Sophie,” said Walter Reusser of the ski association.
The Zurich native was only 26 years old and achieved her first two World Cup podium finishes last season. She competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in the women’s snowboard cross and the mixed team snowboard cross. According to information from the Graubünden police, Hediger was on the closed Black Diamond slope accompanied by another snow sports enthusiast. The other person managed to alert the emergency services and started looking for the victim.
“They left the closed slope and the woman was caught in an avalanche on a slope. Her companion notified the rescue services and went to search for the buried woman,” the police wrote.
Hediger was located around 3:30 pm and finally recovered from the mass of snow, but resuscitation efforts were in vain. The Grisons prosecutor’s office has now opened an investigation to determine what happened.
