The dangerousness of mountain recreation: A quantitative overview of fatal and non‐fatal accidents in France

BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med

et al. 2017

ObjectiveTo analyse the circumstances of fatal and non-fatal mountain hiking accidents caused by falls.MethodsThe study was designed as a retrospective analysis. Mountain hiking accidents caused by falls were documented during a 9-year period (2006–2014). After screening of all data for potential exclusion criteria the final sample size of 5368 accidents and 5665 victims was included into the analyses. Main outcome measures were details about accidents, victims, type of trail and surface.ResultsThe annual number of accidents showed a continuous increase from 467 in 2006 to 700 in 2014. In total, 5.8% of all victims died during the 9-year period. 75.3% of the hikers fell during descent and 80.9% of the victims had their accident on a marked hiking trail or small path. The sex ratio for non-fatal accidents was 55% female and 45% male; for fatal accidents the female-to-male ratio was 28%:72%. Mean age of all victims was 52.5±17.5 years and victims of fatalities were about 5 years older compared with victims of non-fatal accidents (57.5±16.5 vs 52.2±17.5 years, P<0.01).ConclusionDescent is the most risky part for accidents caused by falls during mountain hiking. Male hikers are at greater risk for fatalities independent of age and this is associated with accidents occurring in pathless terrain. The death rate from falls was 6%. We recommend a critical self-assessment of the individual capabilities and mountain hiking skills and adequate planning of the hiking tours for mountain hikers.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fall-related accidents among hikers in the Austrian Alps: a 9-year retrospective study

Faulhaber

BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med

et al. 2017

“…Although the number of overnight stays in Austria increased by approximately 10% from 2014 to 2018 [17], the average death rate (102 deaths per year) during this period was approximately 20% lower compared to the years from 1997 to 2001 and 2002 to 2006 (123 and 119 deaths per year, respectively) [13,15]. For France, Soulé et al reported approximately 25 fatalities per year, calculated for a 4 year period, with a slight predominance of traumatic (approximately 45%) versus non-traumatic accidents (approximately 35%) and nearly 20% disappearances [20]. In Austria, similar distributions of the causes of death have been reported, with sudden cardiac deaths (44%) and the consequences of falls (46%) responsible for approximately 90% of all fatalities in mountain hiking [16,21] (Table 2).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mortality in Different Mountain Sports Activities Primarily Practiced in the Summer Season—A Narrative Review

Gatterer

et al. 2019

IJERPH

Millions of people engage in mountain sports activities worldwide. Although leisure-time physical activity is associated with significant health benefits, mountain sports activities also bear an inherent risk for injury and death. However, death risk may vary across various types of mountain sports activities. Epidemiological data represent an important basis for the development of preventive measures. Therefore, the aim of this review is to compare mortality rates and potential risk factors across different (summer) mountain sports activities. A comprehensive literature search was performed on the death risk (mortality) in mountain sports, primarily practiced during the summer season, i.e., mountain hiking, mountain biking, paragliding, trekking, rock, ice and high-altitude climbing. It was found that the death risk varies considerably between different summer mountain sports. Mortality during hiking, trekking and biking in the mountains was lower compared to that during paragliding, or during rock, ice or high-altitude climbing. Traumatic deaths were more common in activities primarily performed by young adults, whereas the number of deaths resulting from cardiovascular diseases was higher in activities preferred by the elderly such as hiking and trekking. Preventive efforts must consider the diversity of mountain sports activities including differences in risk factors and practitioners and may more particularly focus on high-risk activities and high-risk individuals.

“…The number of subjects at risk, e.g., all ski tourers, is often unknown for the assessment of the mortality risk and therefore the mortality index (MI; number of fatalities per number of accidents) has been introduced. A recent study from France reported a MI of 8% for ski touring, which was lower than that for mountaineering in rocky or icy terrains (MI: 10%) or climbing a Via Ferrata (MI: 10%) but was higher than for hiking on a trail (MI: 4%) [55]. Long-term mortality recordings from the Austrian Alps do not show any change with time [15,17].…”

Section: (Alpine) Ski Tourersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mortality in Different Mountain Sports Activities Primarily Practiced in the Winter Season—A Narrative Review

Gatterer

et al. 2019

IJERPH

Annually, millions of people engage in mountain sports activities all over the world. These activities are associated with health benefits, but concurrently with a risk for injury and death. Knowledge on death rates is considered important for the categorization of high-risk sports in literature and for the development of effective preventive measures. The death risk has been reported to vary across different mountain sports primarily practiced in the summer season. To complete the spectrum, the aim of the present review is to compare mortality rates across different mountain sports activities primarily practiced in winter. A comprehensive literature search was performed on the death risk (mortality) during such activities, i.e., alpine (downhill) skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ski touring, and sledging. With the exception of ski touring (4.4 deaths per 1 million exposure days), the mortality risk was low across different winter sports, with small activity-specific variation (0.3–0.8 deaths per 1 million exposure days). Traumatic (e.g., falls) and non-traumatic (e.g., cardiac death) incidents and avalanche burial in ski tourers were the predominant causes of death. Preventive measures include the improvement of sport-specific skills and fitness, the use of protective gear, well-targeted and intensive training programs concerning avalanche hazards, and sports-medical counseling for elderly and those with pre-existing diseases.