There have been a series of accidents off-piste on Sunday in the Alps. In the most serious a snowboarder was killed in the Pied du Moutet sector of les Deux Alpes. A thirty year old local man hit his head on a rock after a small jump at 1750m. Despite wearing a helmet he was killed instantly.
There was a small avalanche near la Clusaz at 2000m in the Combe de Grand Crêt / Combe de Paccali sectors which hit two ski tourers. They were rescued by other skiers in the sector without injury.
A group of three ski tourers triggered an avalanche in the Aiguille du Belvédère sector in the Aiguilles Rouges range near Chamonix. One of the skiers was partially buried by the slide and suffered multiple injuries. He was taken to hospital by the PGHM.
In the Vercors a ski tourer fell 10 meters into a limestone crevasse on the Pic Saint-Michel. This is not the first such incident on this route. The victim was able to phone the rescue services from the bottom of the crevasse. Arriving rapidly on the scene they were able to rescue him and take him to hospital in Grenoble.
Finally a 65 year old resident of Gap had a lucky escape in the Echaillon sector above Névache. Caught by a slide he triggered his airbag. The rescue services were alerted by the guardian from the Buffère refuge. They airlifted the man to the valley, he was uninjured but shaken by his experience.