240 stranded skiers successfully evacuated in the Hautes-Alpes

An exceptional rescue took place on the afternoon of Tuesday December 24 in Superdévoluy (Hautes-Alpes). Skiers were evacuated by abseiling, one by one, after a mechanical breakdown on a chairlift. An extraordinary operation, given the number of skiers who had to be saved: more than 200. On site, around twenty rescuers trained in extreme situations came to their aid, accompanied by a gendarmerie helicopter.

These three hours of rescue were made possible by good weather. “The rescuer is hoisted onto the cable carrying the ski lift. From there, he descends using a rope to the level of the seat. The skiers are equipped with harnesses or evacuation triangles, and then the rescuer rolls them to the ground.”explains Lieutenant Nicolas Charon, deputy at the PGHM of Briançon (Hautes-Alpes). No injuries were reported. Tuesday night, Christmas Eve, these skiers will have a unique story to tell.

Watch the full report in the video above.