Ueli Kestenholz, who won snowboarding's first Olympic medal in 1998, dies in Swiss avalanche

Ueli Kestenholz, the Swiss snowboard pioneer who won bronze astatine snowboarding’s Olympic debut, has died aft an avalanche successful Switzerland. He was 50.

Kestenholz was snowboarding Sunday successful the Lötschental vale of Valais erstwhile helium was swept distant and buried successful the avalanche, the Swiss skis federation said Tuesday.

He was with a person who was skiing successful the vale erstwhile the avalanche started astatine an altitude of 7,900 feet (2,400 meters), Valais constabulary said in a statement. Officials said it remained unclear what triggered the avalanche.

The person dug retired the trapped Kestenholz earlier a chopper airlifted them to a hospital, constabulary said.

US OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL SNOWBOARDER CHLOE KIM'S MILAN-CORTINA HOPES IN DOUBT AFTER SHOCKING INJURY

Ueli Kestenholz, snowboard bronze victor successful Nagano, presents his medal connected Feb. 16, 1998, successful beforehand of the municipality hallway successful his hometown of Thun, Switzerland. (Edi Engeler/Keystone via AP)

Kestenholz helped constitute Olympic snowboarding past erstwhile helium was thrust into the spotlight astatine the 1998 Winter Games successful Nagano, Japan, astatine conscionable 22 years old.

The Games that twelvemonth marked snowboarding’s debut arsenic an Olympic event. Kestenholz took location the bronze medal for Switzerland successful the parallel elephantine slalom — the archetypal snowboard determination successful Olympic history, the Swiss skis federation said.

Ueli Kestenholz passes a gross during qualification for the men's duel slalom World Championships, International Snowboarding Federation, successful Val di Sole, Italy, Jan. 28, 1999. (Reuters)

The Swiss racer competed astatine 2 much Winter Games, was doubly snowboardcross champion astatine the X-Games and continued a nonrecreational vocation successful utmost sports.

MEXICAN AUTHORITIES SEIZE $40M IN MOTORCYCLES FROM OLYMPIC SNOWBOARDER TURNED FUGITIVE, FBI SAYS

The skis federation said Kestenholz should beryllium remembered not lone for his emotion of snowboarding, but for being "a existent crossover athlete."

"After retiring from competitory sports successful 2006, helium remained a nonrecreational outdoor jock — until his past breath," the federation said, noting that Kestenholz was a freerider, velocity rider, paraglider pilot, kite surfer, skydiver, surfer, wingfoiler and upland biker.

Ueli Kestenholz is embraced by a teammate aft taking the bronze medal successful the debut of Olympic elephantine slalom snowboarding successful Shiga Kogen, Japan, connected Feb. 8, 1998. Kestenholz came from 10th spot successful the archetypal tally to assertion the 3rd position. Canada's Ross Regabliati took gold. (Reuters)

The Olympic medalist’s Instagram relationship showed galore photos of the jock taking portion successful utmost sports outdoors.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"To bask those uncommon moments erstwhile nature’s wonders align you request to beryllium acceptable to driblet everything and go!" helium wrote successful 1 station of a video showing him paragliding and landing connected frozen lakes adjacent St. Moritz.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.