Three snowboarders triggered an avalanche in the Tufs sector above Tignes at 16h45 today while riding off-piste. The avalanche finished in the lake close to the ski resort.
Sixty rescue workers were involved in the search for the victims including a team of army divers who were training in the resort. Due to the risk of avalanche the rescue workers had to cross the frozen lake with snowmobiles. 250 meters of cables were laid to light the rescue area as darkness fell.
The force of the avalanche had broken through the edge of the lake. One of the boarders was found in a serious condition in a state of hypothermia but the two others had been carried into the frozen Lac de Tignes. The avalanche occured at around 2100 meters on north-west facing slopes. Aged 23, All three were season workers in Val d’Isère and came from the Paris region. This is the second accident in the Tufs sector in a little over a week and highlights the need for careful route planning especially when evaluating terrian hazards such as lakes.
As Pistehors.com reported yesterday conditions are very unstable with considerable fresh snow on a base of hoar frost.