On Sunday, February 2nd, a devastating avalanche struck the off-piste area of Puy-Saint-Vincent (Hautes-Alpes) around 1:30 PM, involving three skiers. Two managed to escape unharmed, a third skier was buried under nearly four meters of snow and later succumbed to his injuries despite rescue efforts.

The incident took place at around 2600 meters on the north side of the col du Bal in the Vallon de Narreyroux. The area can be reached by the Pendine chair. Emergency responders, including the CRS Alpes from Briançon, were quickly deployed, with five rescuers aboard the Choucas 05 helicopter. The buried skier was located using an avalanche transceiver (DVA) but it took rescue workers, working in relays, an hour to dig the skier out. He was transported to Briançon hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities had issued warnings in the days leading up to the tragedy, citing unstable snow conditions across the Southern Alps. Multiple avalanches had already been reported, including a significant one outside the nearby Serre-Chevalier ski area. The mountain rescue teams emphasized the importance of caution, reminding skiers that any avalanche triggered, even without injuries, should be reported to prevent unnecessary deployment of rescue teams.

The avalanche bulletin classified the risk level as "considerable" (3) above 2000m and "limited" (2) below. The warning highlighted unstable wind-deposited slabs, with the possibility of skier-triggered fractures between 30-50 cm deep, causing small to medium-sized avalanches. Additionally, on shaded slopes above 2400m, deeper fractures exceeding 70-100 cm posed a significant hazard, potentially triggering larger avalanches.