Two ski tourist were injured, one seriously in an avalanche that occurred in the afternoon close to Arvieux-en-Queyras in the Hautes-Alpes department.
Part of a group of six ski tourists from the Isere and Hautes Alpes departments, the group were on the south west face of the Col du Izoard near the aretes de Cote Belle that lead to the summit of the Col au pic de Rochebrune (3320 meters). The avalanche happened at 12h35 at 2,700 meters altitude, it is probable that the passage of one of the skiers triggered the slide. A rescue helicopter, alerted by mobile phone by one of the group, was dispatched from its base at Briancon with a doctor, avalanche rescue dog and two rescuers. The group managed to find the stricken skiers using avalanche tranceivers and shovels before the rescuers arrived.
Grégoire Pezet, aged 28 and his 23 year old brother, residents of Megève in the Haute Savoie, were transported to hospital in Briançon. Mr Pezet had been buried for some time by the avalanche of 500 meters length, he succumbed to his injuries on Friday.
An eyewitness account is available on PisteHors.com.