A second fatal ski accident in less than a week occurred in the Laurentians on Tuesday, killing a man while skiing on Mount Avila.
Emergency services were called to the Avila piste of Sommet Saint-Sauveur in Piedmont around 10 a.m. this morning to retrieve a man who had “sustained injuries after a fall while skiing,” said Marc Tessier, spokesman for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ ).
“He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead,” he added.
It is currently unknown what circumstances led to the accident. A forensic medical investigation was launched to determine the exact cause of death.
The victim is a septuagenarian. According to police, he only fell on a slope and did not hit any other skiers or a tree.
Authorities have not said whether the man was wearing a helmet or not. The company Les Sommets, which owns the ski area, said he was skiing down the intermediate Laurentides slope at the time of his fall.
“The circumstances of the event are poorly explained,” reacted Christian Dufour, marketing director of the company Les Sommets, which owns the ski area. According to him, conditions for skiing this morning were “normal”.
“We continue to cooperate with the Sûreté du Québec in the investigation. We express our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones.”
This is the second time in less than a week that a skier has lost his life in the Laurentian Mountains, a region popular with fans of the sport.
In fact, a teenager died from his injuries after falling from a ski lift in the Morin-Heights ski area, which is also part of the Les Sommets company.
These were two “isolated” events on two different mountains, Mr Dufour claimed. “We are always in a continuous improvement process to ensure the safety of all users,” he continued.
More details to follow…