Ski hiker seriously injured in avalanche

Saturday January 18, in the morning, two ski hikers left Fionnay towards Grand Tavé via the FXB cabin in Panossière (VS). Arriving at the summit around 2:30 p.m., they began skiing down a corridor leading to Mauvoisin. At an altitude of around 2,300 meters, an avalanche was triggered, carrying one of the skiers several hundred meters.

The victim’s teammate immediately raised the alarm and began the first search using her avalanche victim detector (AVD). She was thus able to locate her before help arrived. The OCVS144 teams, supported by two Air-Glaciers helicopters, quickly intervened. The victim, a 27-year-old Swiss man, was airlifted to Sion hospital in serious condition.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation to determine the circumstances of the accident. The intervention mobilized the cantonal police, the OCVS144 and two Air-Glaciers helicopters.