GENEVA, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Three winter sports enthusiasts fell to their deaths in the Alps over the weekend, Swiss media reported Monday.
On Saturday, two snowshoe hikers perished on the Hinterrugg peak in St. Gallen canton, while a skier fell to his death on the Mutteristock in the canton of St. Glarus, Swiss news agency SDA reported.
A 38-year-old Swiss man and a 28-year-old German resident in Switzerland died snowshoe hiking at the Hinterrugg peak in the east of Switzerland after reportedly beginning their trek on hard snow.
A group of skiers saw them fall some 400 meters and alerted the air rescue service, canton police said.
In central Switzerland's canton Glarus, a 57-year-old ski tourer plunged 200 meters whilst on a narrow traverse, and the difficult terrain hindered rescue efforts and the man was dead by the time he was found.
Mountain sports deaths declined in the first nine months of last year, Swissinfo said citing Swiss Alpine Club figures.
The reduction of 91 fatalities from 115 in the same period in 2016 was attributed to a mild winter and frequently inclement weather during summer weekends.
However, the start of the current winter season has seen far greater snowfall and better weather conditions at weekends.
