A 19 year old man has been killed in an avalanche incident on Mont Blanc on Monday 23rd October. The accident occurred near the Col du Miage (3358m) shortly after 9am. The man was with a friend, climbing at altitude as part of acclimatization for a future project when a small snow slide knocked the man off his feet. Severely injured by the fall his friend attempted first aid.
The rescue services were unable to reach the scene due to poor weather, in particularly low cloud. A ground team of 4 rescue workers and a doctor finally reached the victim early in the evening after a difficult climb through 30-40cm of fresh snow. The young man had succumbed to his injuries during the day.
There had been fresh snow in the area on Sunday accompanied by strong winds and freezing temperatures. The victim was local to the area.