Two skiers were seriously injured in an avalanche in Savoie while they were traveling off-piste in the La Plagne area.
Two skiers were seriously injured and four others more lightly injured on Friday in an avalanche while they were traveling off-piste in the La Plagne resort area (Savoie), the gendarmes said.
The avalanche surprised the six skiers shortly before 12:00 p.m. on the north face of the Bellecôte summit, at an altitude of 2,500 m, in the Tarentaise valley, the Haute-Montagne Gendarmerie Platoon (PGHM) of Savoie told AFP, confirming information from Ici Pays de Savoie.
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When emergency services arrived, a 60-year-old man was “in cardiorespiratory arrest” and was able to be revived, while a 50-year-old woman was freed “polytraumatized“, they added. Both were airlifted to the Grenoble hospital center.
A skierpartially buried and freed itself”, and another which slipped on “a hundred meters above the avalanche», were slightly injured, and two others were shocked, according to the PGHM.
More than a dozen rescuers, including two doctors, a dog handler and seven trackers, took part in the rescue operations, according to the same source.
The La Plagne resort area is located in the Haute-Tarentaise massif, which is classified 2 (limited) out of 5 for avalanche risk above 2,100 m altitude, according to the latest mountain bulletin from Météo-France.
«Just because the avalanche risk is low does not mean it is zero. (…) We have had wind every day for around ten days», a situation that could cause an avalanche of slabs, further underlined the PGHM, which calls on the public to exercise caution.
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The neighboring Haute-Maurienne massif is the only one in the Northern Alps to be classified at level 4 (strong) above 2,100 m, according to Météo-France.
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