Two cross-country skiers may have caused the avalanche which claimed the lives of a British mother and her son in the French Alps, it emerged today.
Police investigating the deaths of the 54-year-old woman and 22-year-old man fear they were taken completely by surprise when hit by a torrent of ice and snow while off-piste in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains.
All were experienced skiers, and were out on a day when the avalanche risk was just ‘moderate’.
Three other members of their family, including the woman’s husband, survived the Thursday afternoon disaster, along with their professional ski instructor, and two others.
On Saturday, it was revealed that ‘two cross-country skiers were upslope’ and ‘could have caused the avalanche’, said Karline Bouisset, the prosecutor in Bonneville, near Grenoble.
Police investigating the deaths of the 54-year-old woman and 22-year-old man fear they were taken completely by surprise when hit by a torrent of ice and snow
A search operation went underway for the victims of the avalanche
Two British victims of the avalanche were found deceased during a search
The ordeal happened in an off-piste section of the French resort
The instructor, who was the only skier wearing an avalanche victim detector, was found unharmed despite being completely buried with the two deceased Brits. Pictured: The rescuers
Ms Bouisset has opened a criminal enquiry into ‘manslaughter’ while judicial police collect evidence.
The two cross-country skiers have been traced, and will be helping investigators with their enquiries.
Ms Bouisset said the British party knew the ski area well, and that the risk at the time was just ‘moderate’ – level 2 out of 5 on the European Avalanche Danger Scale.
Guy Le Nevé, deputy commander of the mountain search team in Chamonix, said: ‘This is an area reserved for very good skiers.
‘This is a group who had known the instructor very well for many years and who regularly came to ski in the area.’
None of those involved have yet been named, but it was confirmed that the instructor was highly qualified and worked for the ESI International Ski School.
He was quickly removed from impacted snow after the alarm was raised, because he was the only member of the party wearing an avalanche victim detector.
But 30 rescuers, supported by two helicopters, two dogs and a medical support team, took up to five hours to find the mother and son.
‘By the time they were found, both victims were deceased,’ said Ms Bouisset, who said autopsies would be carried out on the bodies in Grenoble over the weekend.
The tragedy happened near the Mont-Joly chairlift located in the Saint-Gervais-les-Bains area
The woman and her son have been killed in an avalanche while off-piste at a French resort
On Saturday, it was revealed that ‘two cross-country skiers were upslope’ and ‘could have caused the avalanche’. Pictured: A helicopter involved in the operation
The two victims – a 54-year-old British mother and her son, 22 – were found buried
Dozens of mountain rescuers (pictured) set out to search for skiers who were trapped, finding a man and woman dead and a third person injured. Five others were rescued
Another investigating source said the five survivors who were not buried by snow ‘looked on as the others were swept away.’
‘This included the husband, who would have watched what was happening helplessly,’ said the source.
While avalanche victim detectors are not compulsory for those choosing to ski off piste, they are recommended by Alexandre Merlin, director of the ski area.
Mr Merlin said: ‘At the moment, it is very difficult to read the stability of the snow cover, the temperature fluctuations, and the freezing. It is difficult to be 100% confident about safety.’
The accident happened at around 3.30pm on Thursday, at 2300m above sea level, with the avalanche measuring around 400m.
Eight people were caught up in the avalanche in all, with the five rescued all uninjured.
Saint-Gervais Mayor Jean-Marc Peillex said: ‘It’s terrible what happened. A family is decimated, and we are very sad in Saint-Gervais.’
There was another Alpine fatality on the same day when a 31-year-old man fell 500 metres from a rocky ridge in Chantepérier, in the Ecrins Massif.