Swiss Woman Critically Injured in Andorra Ski Crash
A 31-year-old skier from Switzerland suffered severe skull fracture and internal injuries after colliding with a safety post at high speed on Soldeu.
Key Points
- Lost control at high speed on Serrat de la Posa piste, hit power-reduction post.
- Sustained serious skull fracture and internal injuries despite helmet; remained semi-conscious.
- SUM stabilised her on-site, then helicopter to Barcelona's Hospital de Sant Pau.
- Skiing alone in Andorra on holiday; no other piste users involved.
A 31-year-old Swiss woman resident in Madrid suffered critical injuries on Wednesday afternoon after losing control while skiing alone on the Serrat de la Posa piste in Soldeu.
The skier was descending at high speed to build momentum for a sharp turn ahead of an uphill section known as the Solana, where skiers can either use a rope tow or rely on their own impetus to climb. She failed to complete the turn, however, and collided directly with one of the power-reduction posts supporting the safety netting.
The impact was severe, leaving her semi-conscious but never fully losing awareness, according to sources familiar with the incident. Despite wearing a helmet, she sustained a serious skull fracture and internal injuries with no visible external wounds at first. No other piste users were involved.
Emergency services from the SUM responded promptly, stabilising her on site before transferring her to Hospital Nostra Senyora de Meritxell in Escaldes-Engordany for initial treatment. Due to the gravity of her condition, medical teams arranged an urgent helicopter evacuation later that day to Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona for specialised care.
The woman was in Andorra on a short holiday with her partner and his family but was skiing unaccompanied at the time of the crash. Authorities have provided no further updates on her status.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: