It’s no secret that skiing is a rather dangerous sport. Every year, many people go to different resorts across the country with the aim of hitting the white slopes. Unfortunately, vacations can sometimes turn into a nightmare. With the presence of many skiers, speed, icy snow, accidents can quickly happen. And sometimes they can be deadly. But the other danger lies in going off-piste. Experienced skiers do not hesitate to encounter dangerous slopes and sometimes the necessary precautions have not been taken. And this Saturday, January 20, 2024, it was the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ski area in Haute-Savoie which was the scene of a drama. According to information from the prefecture revealed on X, formerly Twitter, one person lost their life in an avalanche. “Following the avalanche in the off-piste sector today, @Prefet74 sends his sincere condolences to the victim’s loved ones, as well as his thoughts to those involved. He also thanks all the staff who made it possible to carry out the rescue operations. research”.
An important device deployed
In a press release, the prefecture announced that a major search and rescue system had been put in place to help skiers. A total of 5 gendarmes, 5 ski area ski patrollers, 1 emergency doctor and 4 dog teams, supported by a helicopter from the gendarmerie aerial section and a helicopter from the CMBH company, were mobilized. Four people were present in this area at the time of the avalanche. Two are unhurt, another is injured and another unfortunately died. The public prosecutor has opened an investigation to shed light on this tragedy. The avalanche risk will be marked at a level of 3 out of 5 for the day of Sunday January 21, 2024 on the Aravis, Chablais and Mont-Blanc massifs. The prefect, Yves Lebron calls for the greatest caution, especially for activities such as ski touring or snowshoeing: “Caution is more important than ever when practicing mountain activities, particularly in the off-piste sector”. He then recalls the importance of “contact mountain professionals and tourist offices, inform your loved ones about your itinerary, do not leave alone and equip yourself with suitable equipment (helmet, shovel, probe, avalanche victim detector, busy means of communication…)”.
Following the avalanche in the off-piste area today, @Prefect74 sends its sincere condolences to the victim’s loved ones, as well as its thoughts to those involved. He also thanks all the staff who made it possible to carry out the search operations. pic.twitter.com/EzBVh92MOY
— Prefect of Haute-Savoie (@Prefet74) January 20, 2024