More troubling avalanche news today, this time from Italy’s Aosta Valley.
This afternoon, an avalanche swept away a group in the Rhemes Valley, according to Corriere. The leader of the four-person group, 49-year-old mountain guide Matteo Giglio, survived, while three aspiring guides are missing.
A rescue helicopter. Photo: Corriere
The avalanche dragged Giglio a few hundred meters down the mountain. He lost a ski and one pole. He later reported that he trekked back up to where his three partners disappeared under the snow, but couldn’t locate them with his transceiver.
His cell phone did not work, so Giglio managed to get down the valley and notify rescue authorities about an hour later.
Both Italian and French rescue teams made several attempts to approach the area by helicopter but failed because of bad weather. So two groups of rescuers flew to the Benevolo Refuge at 2,300m. From there, they were trying to ski to the site overland.
Giglio is currently in the hospital.
Rescuers extract a ski mountaineer from a crevasse on Monte Rosa. Photo: Aostasera
Earlier this morning, a 36-year-old Polish ski mountaineer fell into a crevasse near the Gnifetti Refuge at 3,900m on nearby Monte Rosa, on the Italian-Swiss border. He and his partner were roped together, and the partner held him until rescuers arrived shortly by helicopter. The victim was extracted from the crevasse and is fine.
Hungarian alpinist Akos Gyorffy disappeared in the same region of Monte Rosa a week ago.
Update, April 14: Today, rescue services recovered the bodies of the three ski mountaineers.
Photo: ANSA
