Avalanche kills British mother and son skiing on Mont Blanc in France
Officials believe it may have been triggered by two ski tourers higher up on the mountain.
Friday 29 December 2023 16:26, UK
Two British skiers have been killed by an avalanche on Mont Blanc in France.
Mountain rescuers found a 54-year-old mother and her 22-year-old son dead under snow that hit a narrow gulley around Saint-Gervais, a resort near Chamonix, on Thursday afternoon.
Officials believe it may have been triggered by two ski tourers who were uphill of the British family, skiing in the Pirolettes couloir.
The mother and son had been skiing with three other family members and a freelance ski instructor, whom they had known for several years, the Bonneville Public Prosecutor's Office said on Friday.
No one in the family was wearing an avalanche transceiver, which emits a silent signal that can be detected if buried under snow.
A major search and rescue operation was immediately launched, involving around 20 rescuers, two dog teams, a doctor and two helicopters.
The team rescued one other injured person, reportedly an instructor, and five further people.
A 31-year-old hiker was also killed on a separate slope.
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A foreign office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of two British people who died in France and are in contact with the local authorities."
An investigation into manslaughter has been opened, and the cause of the avalanche is being investigated.
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Saint-Gervais mayor Jean-Marc Peillex said weather conditions had been too unstable for such outings.
He told BFM television: "It rained, it snowed, it was warm. There are enough marked paths to ski on.
"It's terrible what happened. A family is decimated, and we are very sad in Saint-Gervais."