Tragic Avalanche Claims Life of Swiss Snowboarding Icon Ueli Kestenholz

Swiss snowboarder and Olympic bronze medallist Ueli Kestenholz tragically died in an avalanche in the Loetschental region of Canton Valais. The accident occurred on Sunday, and was confirmed by Swiss-Ski on Tuesday.

Kestenholz, who made history with a bronze in the debut Olympic snowboarding event at Nagano in 1998, had multiple World Cup podium finishes before retiring in 2006. His untimely death is a significant loss to the snowboarding community.

The Valais police, without naming Kestenholz, reported that the avalanche occurred on the eastern flank of the Hockuchriz peak at an altitude of 2,400 meters. While Kestenholz was tragically caught in it, a skiing companion managed to escape.