UPDATED: An young woman has died after a sledding accident at Hafjell ski resort north of Lillehammer on Sunday night. The group of four 18-year-olds had snuck onto the slopes after hours, taken protective foam padding off a pole and slid 300 metres downhill on the mat, before crashing into the wall of a cafe.
The woman was airlifted to Ullevål hospital in Oslo with critical head and chest injuries, reported Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK). Her family made the decision to switch off life support on Monday night.
Another woman was initially airlifted to hospital in Lillehammer but was then transferred to Ullevål hospital in a serious condition. A third woman and a man were taken by ambulance to Lillehammer. The man was discharged on Monday morning, while the third woman was transferred to Oslo with serious but stable chest injuries.
Police told NRK the accident is under review. “We spoke with several of the young people who witnessed the accident, and after that we could see they were not visibly intoxicated,” said Atle B. von Obstfelder, the operation leader. “So far we have not received any reports and it’s too early to say if there will be any consequences for the injured. What we’re focused on now is that they’re taken care of.”
The small town of Hafjell is in mourning. Counseling has been offered to the community, and gatherings have been held at the Halden high school where the woman who died was a final year student.
newsinenglish.no staff
