Vallonets accident, January , Val d'Isere

Here are some terrible but true facts about the accident in the Vallonets area of Val d'Isere.  4 people are reported dead. The four people were recovered from the avalanche debris in a state of cardiac arrest and, despite the best efforts of the piste patrol, could not be resucitated.

See report here in French http://www.radiovaldisere.com/avalines.php

Here is a translation of the Radio Val report

At 2800 meters, the avalanche has let down the whole slope to stop at the bottom of the Isère valley in which rises a few hundred meters upstream from this location. 

A group of 6 skiers with a guide to independent ski school was swept away by this huge avalanche, on a previous  wind slab, a difference in altitude of 765 meters long and over a mile wide, 250 meters and having a fracture to his departure by 80 cm and went to the ground. 

The fracture occurred as the 6th passage skier skiers carrying the 5 down. 

The ski patrol, led by Jean Pierre Aguillon, responded very quickly to the scene to clear the people buried and make the first acts of survival. The gendarmes PGHM, helicopters and UAS FAS and 4 doctors were also present. But despite rapid relief, and despite the massages, 4 skiers (2 1 British and 1 French Swedish) customers of the guide, cardio-respiratory unfortunately could not be brought back to life. 

The avalanche released at 2800m on a North facing slope and the debris ended up next to the river at c. 2100m.  The debris was vast - 765m long - and stretched 250m in width. The depth of the slide reached down to the ground at around  80cm depth. The group of 6 were with a guide from an independant ski school, who survived.  A fifth person was buried but was rescued unharmed.  Reports suggest the slab avalanche was triggered by the 6th skier, and the slab of snow subsequently buried members of the group who were downhill of the fracture line.

The hazard rating today was at 3 on the european scale of 5.

Those reported dead include one British citizen, two French citizens and one Swedish citizen.

Val d'Isere is reeling from the shock of of this incident, and the TV news crews in town this evening further compound this feeling.

We will examine the implications of this in more detail and post this by the weekend.  But for today our thoughts here at HAT are with the families of those involved.

The video below is from radio Val and shows the accident site

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