Clinton Wilton er død

Den 20-årige australske snowboardmester Clinton Wilton døde i starten af denne månede under et ophold i Østrig – han blev fangen i en lavine. RIP

pressemeddelse på engelsk.

MELBOURNE – Australia has lost one of its top young snowboarders with the death of Clinton Wilton, killed after triggering an avalanche in the Austrian Alps.

The 20-year-old national giant slalom champion, who comes from the Melbourne suburb of Brighton, was training with the French national skiing team near Innsbruck at the time, his uncle, Nick Wilton said.

“They had just finished their training session and had just gone off to let off steam as young people do,” Mr Wilton said.

The group – a Canadian, another Australian and three French national team members – left the groomed area to ski in fresh snow, Mr Wilton said.

“Clinton was in the lead and he triggered the avalanche which carried him away,” he said.

“The others only narrowly escaped … they were on a glacier and Clinton was swept into a crevasse.”

Austrian police officer Peter Gasteiger, who was among the search party, said the avalanche was triggered shortly before noon on Monday (2200 AEDT).

“Although all … snowboarders were caught by the rush of snow, the 20-year-old must have been further down the valley than the others and was pulled down by the force of the snow,” he said.

According to Mr Wilton, rescue operations began immediately but were hampered by heavy snow and fog.

“Eventually they found him by using a mobile phone locator,” he said.

The group had not been snowboarding in a closed area and there had been no warnings about avalanches, Mr Wilton said.

“We have no concerns about lack of warnings or mismanagement by the French team,” he said.

“There have been early snows in Europe and it was an area not known for avalanches … they were doing something 87 million people do of whom 130 get killed – that‘s how small the chances were.”

Mr Wilton said his nephew had been training with the French national team and was competing on the European circuit.

“He has won numerous state and national titles, but there comes a time for Australian winter sport athletes that they have to align with a European team to get top coaching.

“He was really beginning to become an international snowboarding star.”