Backcountry boarders killed by avalanche in Southern France

We have a report that two Italian backcountry snowboarders have been killed in France by an avalanche on the border with the Cuneo region. The climbers were Riccardo Dutto, 60 years and Marco Fabbri, 38 years, both residents of Cuneo and were well known through the specialist Italian website Le Fioca Ven Mola.

The slab avalanche occurred in the Gypière de l’Oronaye sector close to the Colle della Maddalena (Col de Larche) just inside France. The slide occurred at 2700 meters altitude on the Bec Du Lievre situated in the commune of San Dalmazzo. According to the rescue services the men were climbing with snowshoes with snowboards attached to their rucksacks with the aim of descending from the summit. Recent wind and fresh snow had formed fresh snow slabs. The alarm was raised when the men failed to return home on Monday night. Specialist rescue workers attached to the Gendarmerie in Digne were scrambled at 19h45. Marco Fabbri’s car was found on the French side of the col de Larche by police.

Rescue workers were able to find the missing men by following their tracks in the snow then signals from their Avalanche Beacons. The bodies were located at midnight buried under a two meters of snow. However the recovery was not possible until the following morning due to the risk of a secondary slide. This is the first fatal accident of the season in France and a reminder that conditions remain difficult across the Alps. The Police in Fribourg (CH) have confirmed that a ski tourer killed by an avalanche on the Tsermon (4/12/2007) was a French national.

Comments are now closed