In a heartbreaking turn of events, the bodies of five missing skiers have been discovered in the treacherous Swiss Alps, while a desperate search continues for the sixth person, as announced by local authorities.
The extensive search and rescue mission unfolded on Saturday after the group disappeared near the formidable 3,706m Tete Blanche mountain. Departing from the renowned ski destination Zermatt, home to the iconic Matterhorn mountain, the skiers embarked on a tour towards Arolla along the Swiss-Italian border.
At 21:20 local time (20:20 GMT), Swiss Valais canton police reported the grim discovery of five of the six skiers “without any signs of life.” Officials had previously identified the skiers as Swiss nationals, ranging in age from 21 to 58.
Despite severe weather conditions, teams on both sides of the route were mobilized for the search. Harsh winds and heavy snowfall, persisting for days in the Alps, posed significant challenges to the operation. Notably, the winter resort of Saas-Fee, neighboring Zermatt, currently faces isolation due to heavy snow.
Anjan Truffer, the head of Zermatt’s air rescue service, informed the BBC that the adverse weather conditions ruled out airborne assistance. The combination of “very strong winds, heavy snow, high avalanche danger, and zero visibility” made flying unfeasible. Truffer suggested that the skiers might have succumbed to the severe weather, rather than being affected by an avalanche, as they vanished in a region of the Zermatt Arolla route with a low avalanche risk.
Ski tours often traverse unprepared alpine routes and are typically equipped with location finders and avalanche shovels. The last recorded signal from the group, though non-verbal, provided rescue services with a rough estimate of their location.
The Zermatt to Arolla route is part of the renowned 120km (75 miles) “Haute Route” from Zermatt to Chamonix, attracting experienced skiers for its challenging terrain that spans several days. The tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of alpine environments and the importance of vigilance in the face of harsh weather conditions.
