Brit skier, 55, killed in avalanche found after rescuers spotted elbow sticking out from snow on off-piste slope
Because his elbow was still visible through the snow, the body of an SKIER who perished in a huge avalanche in the French Alps was found.
On Tuesday afternoon, while skiing off-piste in the Chamonix Valley, close to Mont Blanc, the 55-year-old was washed away.
At Grand Montets in Argentiere, the avalanche occurred as the ski patrol was getting ready to close the slopes for the day. It extended two-thirds of a mile down the slope.
Rescuers were surveying the area when they spotted an elbow protruding from the heavy snow, which was uncommon.
It was the victim’s only outward sign.
The skier was declared dead at the spot despite the efforts of the medics who were swiftly transported in by helicopter.
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Fearing that other skiers might be buried, search crews searched the area for two hours.
However, no further victims were discovered, and because of the great risk of more avalanches, the rescue effort was ultimately called off.
The 55-year-old was initially thought to be British, but rescuers have since determined that he is actually a dual national who worked in the UK and both Portuguese and Brazilian.
The man was on vacation and had an apartment in Chamonix.
The unfortunate death has been communicated to his family.
The mountain has been dangerous all day, according to local officials, who also described the avalanche as being very massive.
As the snowpack grew more unstable, strong winds had already forced the Bochard gondola, the highest lift, to close.
The European Avalanche Danger Scale gave the avalanche risk a high rating of four out of five.
The Haute-Savoie prefecture verified the risks, saying: The rescue effort was stopped late in the evening due to extremely bad weather and the high risk of a second avalanche.
Investigations are still ongoing to determine the precise reason of the slide.
Although it’s unknown if he started the avalanche or was caught in an already-existing slide, reports indicate the skier was on his eleventh descent of the day when the tragedy occurred.
According to mountain police, an inquiry is being conducted to determine the cause of this 400-meter-wide and kilometer-long flood.
Even the most seasoned skiers should take note of the catastrophe.
Extreme caution has been advised by officials, especially for off-piste skiers.
The prefecture emphasized that skiers must strictly adhere to the safety guidelines provided by the public services and resorts.
It follows the terrible death of an Ateen Judo star in an avalanche last month.
When the tragedy occurred, Emre Yazgan was reportedly climbing at the Palandoken Ski Center in Erzurum, North-East Turkey.
The tragic news of the teen’s death was confirmed by Mustafa Ciftci, the governor of Erzurum.
“All interventions failed to save our athlete Emre Yazgan,” Ciftci stated.
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“My condolences to our nation.”
Yazgan competed for the Turkish national judo team.