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A SKIER who died in a massive avalanche in the French Alps had his body discovered thanks to his elbow still sticking out from the snow.
The 55-year-old was swept away on Tuesday afternoon while skiing off-piste in the Chamonix Valley, near Mont Blanc.
A skier tragically died in a massive avalanche in the French Alps[/caption]
The man’s body was discovered after rescuers saw his elbow sticking out from the snow[/caption]
The avalanche, which stretched two-thirds of a mile down the slope at Grand Montets in Argentiere, struck as ski patrol was preparing to close the slopes for the day.
As they surveyed the area, rescuers noticed something unusual in the deep snow—a single elbow sticking out.
It was the only visible trace of the victim.
Medics were quickly flown in by helicopter, but despite their efforts, the skier was pronounced dead at the scene.
Search teams spent two hours scouring the area, fearing other skiers could be buried.
However, no additional victims were found, and the rescue operation was eventually halted due to the high risk of further avalanches.
Rescuers had initially believed the 55-year-old was British but they have now identified him as a dual national – Portuguese and Brazilian – who had worked in the UK.
The man had an apartment in Chamonix and was on holiday.
His family has been informed of the tragic death.
Local authorities described the avalanche as “very large” and warned that conditions on the mountain had been treacherous throughout the day.
Strong winds had already forced the closure of the highest lift, the Bochard gondola, as the snowpack became increasingly unstable.
The avalanche risk had been rated four out of five on the European Avalanche Danger Scale—meaning “high.”
The prefecture of Haute-Savoie confirmed the dangers, stating: “Due to very unfavorable weather conditions and the significant risk of a second avalanche, the rescue operation was halted late in the evening.”
The exact cause of the slide remains under investigation.
Reports suggest the skier had been on his 11th descent of the day when disaster struck, though it is unclear whether he triggered the avalanche or was caught in an existing slide.
Mountain police confirmed: “The reasons for the triggering of this kilometre-long and 400-metre-wide flow are currently unknown and an investigation is underway.”
The skier had an apartment in Chamonix and was on holiday when tragedy struck[/caption]
The exact cause of the avalanche remains under investigation[/caption]
The tragedy serves as a stark warning to even the most experienced skiers.
Officials have urged extreme caution, particularly for those skiing off-piste.
The prefecture stressed: “Skiers must imperatively respect the precautionary instructions given by the resorts and public services.”
It comes after a teen judo star tragically died in an avalanche last month.
Emre Yazgan was understood to be climbing at the Palandoken Ski Center in Erzurum, North-East Turkey when the disaster struck.
The Erzurum governor Mustafa Ciftci confirmed the sad news that the teenager had passed away.
Ciftci said: “Our athlete Emre Yazgan could not be saved despite all interventions.
“My condolences to our nation.”
Yazgan was part of Turkey’s national judo team.
