“Chaos, people were screaming”… One of the participants in the Haut Giffre ultra-trail in Haute-Savoie gave a chilling testimony after the fatal accident that occurred during the Samoëns endurance race.
Terrible weather conditions
The weekend of June 14 to 16 in Samoëns (Haute-Savoie), the Haut Giffre ultra-trail turned into a tragedy due to terrible weather conditions. A 52-year-old man died after a fall. Three other people were injured, two of them seriously, but without life-threatening injuries, said Karline Bouisset, public prosecutor of Bonneville. After this tragedy, David Varlez, an experienced 46-year-old trail runner, gave a striking testimony to the newspaper The Parisian. Despite his numerous experiences in ultra-trail, he had never faced such conditions. “I have already done several ultra-trails in the mountains where the conditions were terrible. We know that nature can be harsh with rain, wind, cold. But this Saturday, it was beyond belief, the paths were were transformed into torrents”he said.
People suffering from hypothermia
David was in the front row during thedeadly accident occurred around 4 a.m., on an extremely steep descent. “I saw the victims fall before my eyes and disappear into the darkness of the void. It was pitch black. It was the first time in my life that I was afraid of dying”he testified. “Everyone was slipping, skidding, ending up on their butts. Chaos. People were screaming. I really thought I was going to pass.”, he continued. Shortly after, the race was stopped. David, beginning to feel the intense cold, knew he had to continue down to find safe shelter. According to the prefecture, many people were treated for hypothermia, rescue having been complicated by weather conditions and altitude. The PGHM (High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon) and the Sdis (departmental fire and rescue service) worked in close collaboration to help the victims.
Ongoing investigation
An investigation was opened to “search for the causes of death” and “endangering the lives of others”, entrusted to the Bonneville Research Brigade with the support of the PGHM of Chamonix. This investigation aims to clarify the circumstances of the accidents and determine possible criminal liability. David Varlez believes that the mandatory equipment requested by the organizers was not enough to face such extreme weather, although he does not want to blame them too much. He admits that the organizers could not have predicted rain of such intensity. Although shocked by the experience, David says he will continue to participate in trail races in the future.
