Tragedy struck at a French ski resort when an avalanche claimed the lives of a British mother, aged 54, and her 22-year-old son. The incident unfolded yesterday afternoon at approximately 3:40 pm near the Mont-Joly chairlift in the Saint-Gervais-les-Bains ski area.
A group of eight individuals, including three relatives of the deceased, an independent skiing instructor with years of experience, and the two victims, were off-piste when the avalanche occurred. The avalanche engulfed the skiers, resulting in a dramatic rescue operation by local authorities.
French media reported that the two victims, the British mother and her son, were tragically found buried beneath the snow and had succumbed to their injuries.
The skiing instructor, who had been equipped with an avalanche beacon, miraculously emerged from the snow unscathed, despite being entirely buried alongside the two deceased skiers. This fortunate outcome was a rare glimmer of hope in an otherwise tragic incident.
The avalanche struck in an off-piste section of the French resort at an altitude of approximately 7,545 feet, according to the Haute-Savoie regional authorities. The force of the avalanche was estimated to have travelled approximately 400 meters.
In response to the avalanche, a substantial team of mountain rescuers was deployed to locate and rescue any trapped skiers. Tragically, they discovered two individuals, a man, and a woman, had lost their lives, while a third person sustained injuries. The search and rescue efforts were successful in saving five other individuals.
An official investigation has been launched to determine the precise cause of the avalanche. Authorities will assess the weather conditions, snowpack stability, and other factors contributing to this devastating incident.
Saint-Gervais Mayor Jean-Marc Peillex expressed his condolences and emphasized the unstable weather conditions at the time of the tragedy. He stated, “It rained, it snowed, it was warm. There are enough marked paths to ski on.” He also lamented the loss of an entire family, saying, “It’s terrible what happened. A family is decimated, and we are very sad in Saint-Gervais.”
