An 18-year-old Norwegian tourist was rushed to hospital this morning after suffering a serious accident while out roller skiing in Playa de Palma.
Emergency services say the accident happened just after 09.00 along Avenida America. Apparently the victim and a friend were roller skiing in the direction of the Hotel Pueblo Park at a "considerable" speed behind a coach.
However, the coach slowed to enter one of the hotel complexes. His fellow skier managed to avoid the coach, but the teenager hit the coach and bounced into the path of an oncoming lorry in the other lane. The Norwegian was instantly knocked out and given immediate first aid by paramedics at the scene before being rushed to hospital suffering from severe head injuries. The lorry driver told investigating police that he could have done nothing to have avoided the skier.
Roller skiing is an off-snow equivalent to cross-country skiing. Roller skis have wheels on their ends and are used on tarmac to emulate cross-country skiing. The skiing techniques used are very similar to techniques used in cross-country skiing on snow.