Fantastic work by the rescue team. Make you appreciate that it’s a really dangerous job for them
Posted by on Friday, 23 January, 2009 at 12:44 PM
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In what must be one of the most complicated and dangerous winter rescue operations the CRS unit based in Courchevel have rescued an off piste skier trapped in a freezing river. The victim, a 20 year old woman and her two friends were skiing off piste at St Sorlin d’Arves in the Maurienne.
The woman broke through snow bridging a stream and was carried 15 meters down the Ruisseau de Vallon before getting blocked under snow and ice in freezing melt-water. Her friends were powerless to help and immediately alerted the rescue services. A single rescuer had to be lowered through a narrow gap under the snow submerged in freezing water.
The victim was recovered after 40 minutes. Suffering from a severe hypothermia but without other injuries, her body was at 24 degrees. She was taken to a specialist unit at Grenoble hospital. The rescue worker also suffered from hypothermia.
Fantastic work by the rescue team. Make you appreciate that it’s a really dangerous job for them