A nine-page report published by Dr. Fatih Kıyıcı of the Atatürk University Physical Education and Sports Graduate School (BESYO) said the 17-year-old’s death could have been prevented if the wooden barriers running along the perimeter of the ski slope had been properly padded. The official report is now being examined by prosecutors.
Nemutlu, a member of Turkey’s national Alpine ski team, was training three weeks ago for the Super G on a slope at the center prior to the Turkey Youth Ski Championship when one of her skis came loose, causing her to fall and slam at high speed into the barrier. She suffered fatal injuries, including a brain hemorrhage, a broken neck and spine and a punctured lung. Her funeral took place in İstanbul two days after the accident, on Jan. 14.
The main issue Kıyıcı highlighted was that of the wooden barriers. “The chances of survival when moving at high speed and crashing into such a surface are slim,” he said, adding the issue needs to be addressed immediately by the Turkish Ski Federation. Kıyıcı said A-Nets, large safety nets hung from overhead cables around ski courses, need to be installed on the course if such tragic accidents are to be prevented in the future.
