Swiss snowboarder Sophie Hediger, who was 26, tragically died in an avalanche on 23rd December in Arosa, Switzerland. She had just celebrated her birthday on December 14.
Sophie was a rising star in snowboardcross, recently earning two World Cup podium finishes, including a second-place result in St. Moritz in January 2024.
Highlights
- Sophie Hediger shared a picture with her partner, Dario Wüthrich, and called him her happy place and the man who makes her smile.
- The European news outlets have reported that Sophie ventured off-piste into a closed area near a resort, triggering an avalanche.
- The rescue team was called immediately, but it took time to find them.
She also competed for Switzerland at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The Swiss Ski Federation shared the sad news on 24th December, honoring her talent and potential.
For the Swiss-Ski family, a dark shadow has fallen over the Christmas period with the tragic death of Sophie Hediger. We are incredibly sad. We will honour Sophie’s memory,
Walter Reusser, the head of Swiss-Ski
According to the Swiss Ski Federation, Sophie Hediger was originally from Horgen, Switzerland, around 80 miles northwest of Arosa.
The Federation expressed deep sorrow over her loss, calling it the tragic and sudden end of a passion that she loved, one that came far too soon.
Respecting the wishes of her family and life partner, Swiss-Ski has decided not to share further details about her demise.
Rescuers Attempted To Revive Snowboarder Sophie Hediger At The Scene But Were Unsuccessful
In 2020, Sophie Hediger shared a picture with her partner Dario Wüthrich, calling him her “happy place” and the man who makes her smile.
In response to her post, he replied,
“I love you too.“
Wüthrich, a field hockey player for Ambrì-Piotta, is now facing an unimaginable loss.
After her sudden and tragic death, the Hockey Club Ambrì-Piotta expressed their heartfelt condolences to Wüthrich and Sophie’s family.
The club released a statement offering their support:
“The Hockey Club Ambrì-Piotta stands in solidarity with defenseman Dario Wüthrich in this moment of grief. Our sincere condolences go out to Sophie’s family and to Dario, along with a big hug from the entire biancoblù family.”
The Hockey Club Ambri-Piotta
On 23rd December, the Grisons cantonal police announced that a snowboarder had died in an avalanche while skiing off-piste with a partner.
They didn’t release the name of the person at that moment.
The source said that the two were on a closed slope, and as they were leaving the area, the avalanche swept away Sophie Hediger.
Emergency services were called immediately, but it took two hours to find the snowboarder.
When they located her, they tried to revive her on-site, but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful.
In an avalanche, folks are more likely to die from suffocation than from being trapped upside down.
The survival rate drops dramatically if they are not rescued within 30 minutes.
You’ll die from suffocation long before you pass out and die from being upside down. Iirc over 50% death rate when you aren’t dug out within 30m and it drops rapidly from there (which, btw, is why it’s so important when back country skiing that every single person in the group is trained in avy rescue. Every second matters).
lolofaf
The police have since launched an investigation into the incident. Avalanches are a significant risk in Switzerland at the moment due to heavy snowfall in recent days.
Other European news outlets have reported that she ventured off-piste into a closed area near a resort, triggering an avalanche.
The incident was not related to any official event or the skiing association.
Other European media reported she went off piste into a closed area near a resort and triggered an avalanche. Not related to an event or the skiing association.
Julianus
Despite the controversies surrounding the cause of her death, her passing has deeply saddened the community.
Don’t watch snowboarding much but regardless i can tell she had a good soul Rest in peace
Jerzzy
Additional Information
- She discovered snowboarding through her older sister; her sport is linked to Tanja Frieden.
- Sophie Hediger was always in the snow from a young age, even though she grew up in Horgen on Lake Zurich.
- The family owns a holiday home in Arosa. At the age of six, Hediger switched from skis to boards. “I hardly wanted to put the hard ski boots on anymore.”
- In 2021, Sophie Hediger shared that during a training session in Veysonnaz, she tore her posterior cruciate ligament.
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://sportstalkline.com/olympian-sophie-hediger-dies-in-avalanche-while-skiing-off-piste-with-partner-boyfriend-dario-wuthrich-mourns-her-loss/&media=https://sportstalkline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Sophie-Hediger.jpg&description=In 2020, Sophie Hediger shared a picture with her partner Dario Wüthrich, calling him her "happy place" and the man who makes her smile.){kind=link}