Avalanche
Two backcountry skiers died in separate avalanches in the French Alps on Sunday, February 2, bringing the total number of avalanche fatalities in Europe to 13 in just one week. The incidents occurred in Bessans, Savoie, and Puy-Saint-Vincent, both areas where avalanche risk was high due to unstable snow conditions following recent heavy snowfalls.
The first fatality took place around 4 p.m. near the Pointe d’Andagne at 3,217 meters (10,554 feet) in Bessans, Savoie. A large avalanche, spanning 200 meters (656 feet) wide with a one-meter (3.3-foot) crown, swept away a backcountry skier. His companion managed to locate him they were bothequipped with avalanche beacons,and dug him out before calling for help. Despite the rapid response of rescuers from Bonneval and the Modane CRS, they were unable to save him and he was pronounced dead at site.
This marks the seventh avalanche fatality in the Pays de Savoie region in the past week. Météo France had issued a level 3 (considerable) avalanche warning for the Northern Alps, Mont Blanc massif, Belledonne, and Haute-Maurienne, cautioning of increased danger due to recent snowfall and wind-loaded slopes.
Earlier in the day, another avalanche struck a group of three backcountry skiers below the Col du Bal in Puy-Saint-Vincent, in the Pays des Écrins region. The slide, triggered by one of the skiers on a heavily traveled route, broke with a crown of 1 to 1.5 meters (3.3 to 4.9 feet) and ran approximately 400 meters (1,312 feet) down the slope.
One skier was buried under 3.8 meters (12.5 feet) of snow and was recovered after an hour of digging by rescuers from the PGHM (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne). Despite efforts to revive him, he was airlifted to Escartons Hospital in Briançon, where he was pronounced dead. His two companions were unharmed. According to the public prosecutor, Marion Lozac’hmeur, the victim was not part of a professionally guided group but was carrying an avalanche beacon. An autopsy has been ordered, and an investigation is underway, led by the CRS Alpes.
Rescue teams had already responded to multiple incidents in the region earlier in the day, including assisting two skiers trapped on rocky cliffs. These two deaths raise the number of avalanche deaths for the week to 13. A snowstorm hit the south side of the European Alps from Sunday to Tuesday, January 26-28, raising avalanche danger in many areas to Level 4 out of 5. A total of 10 people have now died in France and three in Switzerland.
Authorities continue to warn backcountry skiers of the ongoing danger, as recent weather conditions have created unstable snowpacks across the Alps.
