Brewery boss killed by avalanche

The boss of the German Augustiner Brewery has been killed in an avalanche while skiing in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Jannik Inselkammer, together with three other skiers and a guide, were taking part in a heli-ski expedition on Monday, 24 March, when the tragedy struck, according to a report by thelocal.de.

The category four avalanche, which was powerful enough to rip down matures trees, began at a height of 2,500 metres on the Selkirk mountain range and slid down the mountain side for more than 1,000 metres before reaching the group.

It buried the 45-year-old under three metres of snow while he was awaiting pick up by the helicopter at 1,400 metres.

Inselkammer was freed from the snow by rescuers but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

At least one other man in the group was treated for minor injuries, the Revelstoke Times Review reported.

The group had been on an arranged holiday with Canadian Mountain Holidays.

In a statement the company said: “We are deeply saddened. Our deepest sympathies are with the family of the victim.

“The thousands of guests who ski with us each winter are like our family. It is impossible to put into words the sorrow that we feel and the sorrow that is shared by our guests, their families and all of our staff.”

Jannik Inselkammer, the son of the Munich brewing entrepreneur Hans Inselkammer and cousin of Franz Inselkammer, the owner of the Aying brewery, co-owned the Augustiner-Bräu brewery in Munich.

Inselkammer studied economics at the University of Siegen and achieved a doctorate on distribution management in the US brewing industry in 1999.

The Augustiner brewery has since posted a statement in tribute to Inselkammer on its website.

It read: “The Augustiner-Bräu Wagner KG and Edith-Haberland-Wagner-Foundation are mourning their partner and managing director.

“Dr. Jannik Inselkammer tragically passed away much too early. His sudden death touches us deeply and we bow our heads in an eternal bond.”

Inselkammer was also second Chairman of the Association Munich beer and on the advisory board of the Bavarian Brewers Federation.

The incident is being investigated by the British Columbia Coroners Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.