Two skiers have been killed by avalanches in the French Alps. The first incident was on the 27th in Meribel. A 53 year old Parisian was killed close to Mont de la Chambre at 2500 meters altitude off piste skiing alone. The alert was given by a friend when the victim didn't return to resort.
On New Years Eve a group of ski tourers were caught by an avalanche near the Col du Galibier above Serre Chevalier. A 40 year old man, resisdent of Marseille, was buried under 150 cm of snow just after midday. Recovered in a state of severe hypothermia by the rescue services he was heliported to Grenoble hospital where he died of his injuries.
The man was part of a group of four ski tourers including a high mountain guide. According to the prefecture the route didn't present any technical difficulty. The slide measured 100x140 meters. The avalanche risk was Considerable (3/5) in the range at the time. The guide was interviewed by the police as part of an initial manslaughter inquiry into the incident.