It was around 3 a.m. this Tuesday when their search had the dreaded outcome. The police discovered the lifeless body of a hiker in the Mercantour massif. The unfortunate man, who came from Menton, was the victim of a fatal fall in the Boréon sector, on the borders of Vésubie.
Night had already fallen on Monday when the alert reached the gendarmerie. The relatives of a Menton resident are worried about not hearing from him. This man, who is not yet 40 years old, went hiking in Mercantour, in the Cime Guilié sector, a peak which rises to almost 3000 meters above sea level on the Franco-Italian border.
The gendarmerie deploys a vast search system. The high mountain gendarmerie platoon (PGHM 06), a dog team and the Saint-Martin-Vésubie brigade intervene with the Digne gendarmerie helicopter. Squadron leader Joseph Fraigneaud, commander of the Puget-Théniers company, piloted the operations.
Tragic reminder of the risks in the mountains
The intervention proved trying, even for these soldiers familiar with the mountains. The teams operate at night, at an altitude of more than 2,500 meters, as the snow begins to fall. The Chouca 04 multiplies the night rotations. It will take seven hours of effort to find the body of the missing person. He was lying at the foot of a rocky ridge.
“The gendarmerie expresses its sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the victim”testifies squadron leader Fraigneaud. For him, “this tragic event once again reminds us of the risks inherent in mountain activities.”
On the occasion of this dramatic accident, the gendarmerie “would like to remind hiking enthusiasts of the importance of appropriate preparation. Make sure your equipment is appropriate for mountain conditions, share your planned route and, if possible, your real-time geolocated position with your loved ones. Caution and preparation are essential to enjoy the beauty of our mountains in complete safety.”
