Authorities announced on May 25 that the bodies of five skiers were discovered on a glacier above Zermatt, Switzerland, following reports from hikers who spotted abandoned skis near the Rimpfischhorn, a peak in the Valais Alps.
Upon receiving the report, an Air Zermatt aircraft carrying an emergency doctor, paramedic, and two Valais Cantonal Rescue Organization specialists immediately surveyed the area.
After conducting aerial and ground searches, Valais cantonal police confirmed that the victims were found on the Adler Glacier. Three bodies were located 500 meters away from the abandoned skis on an avalanche cone, as reported by CNN.
The remaining two bodies were discovered 200 meters higher, according to Air Zermatt.
The victims’ formal identification is still in progress, and their nationalities have not been disclosed yet.
An investigation into the incident has been initiated to examine the weather conditions and avalanche activity in the region.
This unfortunate event marks another instance of skiers being found deceased in the Swiss Alps.
In March 2024, five cross-country skiers were tragically found deceased on a mountaintop in the Swiss Alps.
The group, which included five family members from Valais, had embarked on a skiing journey from Zermatt to the village of Arolla, along the challenging “Haute Route” alpine trail.
The bodies of the skiers were located at approximately 3,500 meters above sea level at Tête Blanche ridge, one of the highest points of the Haute Route, according to Valais police.
Initially, the weather conditions were favorable, but they rapidly deteriorated, leading to the tragic outcome, as explained by Christian Varone, the commander of Valais regional police.
Despite the challenging conditions, rescue efforts were launched, but they were hampered by extreme winds and cold temperatures.
Valais cantonal police via AP
Eventually, the rescue team reached the skiers’ location and sadly confirmed that all five individuals had passed away.
“Unfortunately, incidents like this are not uncommon in this area,” Varone remarked, citing a previous tragedy in 2018 involving seven hikers who perished due to extreme weather conditions.
— Adapted from Global News and The Associated Press
