Three British tourists are injured, with two – including a boy, eight – airlifted to hospital following separate ski slope crashes at Austrian resort hit by heavy snow

Three British holidaymakers, including an eight-year-old boy, were airlifted to hospital after separate skiing accidents at the same resort in Austria.

In the first incident, a 19-year-old male Briton collided with a man from Germany on the slopes of the Tyrolean ski resort Obergurgl on Sunday, December 17.

Due to the severity of his injuries, the teenager was taken by helicopter from the slopes to the Innsbruck university clinic.

The 59-year-old German tourist with whom he collided was less seriously injured and was taken to the valley in a rescue sled.

Austrian authorities have not revealed the identity of the Briton.

Three British holidaymakers, including an eight-year-old boy, were airlifted to hospital after separate skiing accidents at Austria's Obergurgl resort

Due to the country's strict privacy rules, they also did not provide information about the type of injuries he suffered in the accident.

The next day (December 18), an eight-year-old British boy crashed with a 21-year-old man on a slope at the same resort.

While the young man received medical care in Obergurgl, the child was flown to the Innsbruck university clinic.

As with the first incident, police have not released the identities of the skiers involved.

In a statement on December 18, the Tyrol state police said: 'On December 18, 2023 around 10:50 am, an accident occurred on the red slope number seven in the Obergurgl ski area.

'The reason has not yet been determined. A 21-year-old male skier from Great Britain collided with an eight-year-old British boy. The child suffered unknown injuries. He was taken to the Innsbruck University Clinic by emergency helicopter.'

Heavy early snowfall has provided plenty of deep snow, which could be a challenge. especially for novice skiers, which may have contributed to the spate of accidents involving British holidaymakers.

Obergurgl is a small town in the Tyrolean district of Imst, in western Austria.

Located at an altitude of 1800 meters, it is one of the most 'snow-sure' regions in the Austrian Alps.

Nicknamed the 'Diamond of the Alps', the resort features several four- and five-star hotels, 25 lifts and 112 km of ski slopes.

The red slope, where the accident took place on Monday, indicates an average difficulty level. Black is used to indicate difficult slopes that only advanced skiers should choose.

In the first incident, a 19-year-old male Briton collided with a man from Germany on the slopes in the Tyrolean ski resort of Obergurgl on Sunday, December 17. In the second incident, an eight-year-old British boy crashed with a 21-year-old male compatriot on a slope at the same resort

There is no information on what type of slope Sunday's crash occurred on.

The Austrian Committee for Alpine Safety said 111 people lost their lives in incidents while skiing, snowboarding and climbing in Austria's mountains in the 2021/2022 winter sports season.

A total of 6,716 people were involved in accidents during that period.

Winter tourism is of enormous importance for the Austrian economy, especially in the western states of Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg.