A 55-year-old British skier had to be airlifted to a hospital after he was beaten unconscious by a snowboarder using a ski pole in Austria. The Daily Mail reports the unidentified UK tourist suffered severe injuries in the attack which allegedly began after the snowboarder nearly caused a collision with the victim’s ski group at the Zillertal Arena in Rohrberg, Austria.
The victim had words with the snowboarder about the near collision which sparked the violent outburst. The snowboarder reportedly grabbed a ski pole from a member of the ski group and bashed the British man over the head several times until he collapsed. 
The British man was not wearing a helmet and suffered severe injuries requiring a helicopter ride to the hospital in Schwaz about 15 miles away. The snowboarder fled the scene after he dropped the skier. Police are asking any witnesses to come forward to help identify him. 
