Suspicion wrong

50-year-old paralyzed after accident on children’s slide

The seriously injured man was flown to the hospital in Innsbruck by emergency helicopter (symbolic image).

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

A terrible and unusual accident late on Tuesday afternoon in the Tyrolean ski resort of Kühtai: a German man (50) injured himself so badly while sliding on a playground that he had to be flown to Innsbruck Hospital by emergency helicopter. Fortunately, the suspicion of incomplete paraplegia was not confirmed.

It was a strange accident with fatal consequences! According to the police, it happened on Tuesday afternoon at around 4.30 pm at the playground in front of the Drei-Seen-Hütte at around 2334 meters above sea level.

Hit head on the ground
"A 50-year-old German and his companions slid down the slide head first," the investigators describe. The man was the last to go. He hit his head on the snow-covered, apparently very hard floor and remained seriously injured.

Incomplete paralysis initially suspected
His companions immediately provided first aid and set the rescue chain in motion. "After receiving initial treatment from the local doctor, the seriously injured man was flown by emergency helicopter to the hospital in Innsbruck with suspected incomplete paraplegia," it was initially reported.

Worst fears did not materialize
The good news came early Wednesday afternoon: the original suspicion of incomplete paraplegia had not been confirmed, said a police spokesman. A spokesperson for the Innsbruck hospital told APA that the patient was "completely stable" and was being treated on the normal ward. As is usual in such cases, no further medical information was given.