Teen skier hospitalised after ravine plunge

A teenage skier was hospitalised after crashing down a 20-metre embankment.The 16-year-old holidaymaker from Bahlingen in the German state of Baden-Württemberg was airlifted to a clinic in Feldkirch after coming off groomed slopes in the winter sport resort of Damüls yesterday afternoon (Thurs).One day earlier, a 37-year-old skier from the Netherlands died after he hit a tree in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Salzburg.Nearly 47,000 skiers and around 12,000 snowboarders had to be hospitalised after accidents in the Austrian mountains in the 2009/2010 skiing season.Sport safety experts have pointed out that many holidaymakers over-estimate their own abilities. They also criticised tourists for skiing under the influence of alcohol.