Wednesday, 6 Mar 2014, ski-tourer dies in the Payot Couloir of the Aiguilles Rouges Massif. The man, 50, was carried 300 metres down the couloir by an avalanche triggered by a collapsed snow cornice.
The man, a High Mountain Guide from the Haute-Savoie region was ski-touring with his son when the accident happened.
They were preparing to descend the Payot couloir, a very technical off-piste route on the Aiguilles Rouges and Carlaveyron, when a cornice collapsed, carrying the guide 300 meters down the couloir to his death.
The victim's son, was not caught in the avalanche and called the Chamonix PGHM.
On arrival at the scene of the accident, the PGHM doctor confirmed that the victim was dead. The deceased and his son were recovered from the mountain by helicopter and taken to the hospital in Sallanches. This is standard procedure for all high mountain accidents near Chamonix.
The victim was not eqquiped with RECCO or transceivers.
An investigation was opened to clarify the circumstances of the accident.
