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British mother dies in Austria
Friday February 19, 2010 - Email this article to a friend
She was on holiday with her family and collided with another skier in Kaprun. As well as a human tragedy it raises questions about crowded pistes, people skiing out of control and whether helmets should be compulsory.
Tracey Boland was on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier in Kaprun, Austria when she collided with a 26-year-old Dutch skier.
Her husband was nearby at the time and he tried to save his 46-year-old wife's life before an Austrian female doctor who was on the same run came to help too.
The ski patrol came but she died on the slope from a severed aorta.
It was on a blue run.
Her three children, a girl and two boys aged between eight and 12, were on holiday with them and at a nearby ski school when the accident happened.
The Dutch woman suffered spinal injuries.
Neither woman was wearing a helmet.
It is unclear exactly what happened as there were no witnesses and an investigation is going on.
"We are not sure how the accident could have happened. The slope was not difficult and there were excellent skiing conditions. Experts are accessing the scene of the accident today to try to find a cause," said a police spokesman.
Her husband and children have returned to the UK.
Although the details and facts are sketchy it does raise questions about people skiing out of control on slopes and whether more should be done to ensure people ski within their limits.
It appears that the fact neither women was wearing a helmet had nothing to do with the death or serious injuries of the women involved.
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