Two Polish skiers have died in an avalanche in Slovakia’s High Tatra Mountains, rescuers said Sunday.
Slovakia’s Mountain Rescue Service (HZS) said three skiers were caught by an avalanche near the Kondratova Kopa mountain in the western High Tatras on Saturday evening.
“One of them managed to dig himself out and contacted rescuers who began a mission on snowmobiles and skis. They discovered two bodies of Polish skiers,” the HZS said in a statement.
A Polish rescue team found the man who survived and placed the emergency call, the HZS said.
“He was also covered in snow but managed to free himself. He then tried to find friends with an avalanche finder, but without success,” according to the HZS.
Completed early on Sunday, the rescue operation involved a dozen HZS rescuers and volunteers along with dogs and their handlers.
Kondratova Kopa is a mountain on the border with Poland with an elevation of 2,005 metres (6,600 feet).
Tourists and skiers flooded Poland’s popular nearby Zakopane and other mountain resorts this weekend after the government eased coronavirus restrictions, opening ski hills and allowing hotels to operate at half capacity.
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