A group of two skiers and a snowboarder triggered a large avalanche in the St Antoine valley at around 2600 meters altitude on a west facing slope. An off piste route that can be reached from the ski resort of la Norma in the Haute-Maurienne. A 44 year old woman, local to the department, was killed by the slide. The debris was up to 3 meters deep. The alert was given a little after midday. The slide measured 200 meters wide. Rescue workers, including a sniffer dog, arrived by helicopter within 15 minutes. They were joined by the piste patrol from the ski resort. Another police helicopter from Briançon with reinforcements was also called. The victim, completely buried by the slide, was not wearing an avalanche beacon. She was localised using a Recco device followed by a probe search after about an hour under 120cm of snow. She was declared dead on the scene.
The avalanche (photo pghm Savoie)
This is the second fatality in the Savoie during the Christmas week following fresh snow at the weekend. The avalanche risk was 3 above 2200 meters, 2 below. The bulletin warned of a very unstable windblown snow pack resting on a persistent weak layer of angular snow grains with the risk of remote triggering. Slabs could be up to 70cm deep. The slabs are isolated from the weak layer below 2200 meters by a rain crust.
(photo pghm Savoie)