WENGEN, BERN, SWITZERLAND – JANUARY 18, 1991 20-year-old Austrian downhill skier Gernot Reinstadler suffered devastating injuries during a qualifying run for the Lauberhorn World Cup race in Wengen, Switzerland, which claimed his life the following day.
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- Gernot Reinstadler 1
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- Gernot Reinstadler 2
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- Gernot Reinstadler 3
The accident occurred in the final section of the course near the finish area. Reinstadler lost control of his skis at high speed, veered off the course, and crashed into a safety net. The tip of one of his skis became caught in the netting while his body continued moving forward due to momentum. The violent impact caused extensive injuries to his pelvic and abdominal regions.
The skier suffered a severe pelvic fracture, serious damage to internal organs and blood vessels. His right leg was almost completely severed from his body. Reinstadler was airlifted to a hospital in Interlaken, where a surgical team spent several hours trying to save his life. Despite repeated blood transfusions, they were unable to stop the massive internal bleeding.
Gernot Reinstadler never regained consciousness and died shortly after midnight on January 19, 1991. Following his death, the scheduled World Cup races in Wengen were canceled.
The tragedy subsequently sparked discussions about the safety of downhill courses and the design of protective safety nets. One of the measures introduced after the accident was reducing the size of the openings in the nets to prevent ski tips from becoming caught in them so easily.
