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Avalanche injures instructor and client
by Alison Shayler | Skinets Administration | published 10-Dec-2010
Two people were injured in an avalanche yesterday afternoon on the Bellevarde massif.
An independent ski instructor and his client were snowboarding off-piste in a couloir when an avalanche was triggered by the client making a turn. The two men were swept 300m by the falling snow.
The instructor was not deeply buried and was able to free himself from the debris before summoning help. His client, however, was submerged in the snow and it took 20 minutes for the instructor and the mountain rescue services to find him.
He was then resuscitated on the mountain before being transferred to hospital in Grenoble. His condition is unstable due to that fact that he was in cardiopulmonary arrest for almost 45 minutes.
The instructor was mostly unharmed and was treated for shock and bruising to his legs.
The avalanche risk is currently quite high at 3/5 due to recent heavy snowfall followed by milder temperatures. Reach our Mountain Safety article to learn more about avalanches and the risks involved.
Keep an eye on our regular Snow Reports for the latest updates on weather and snow conditions.
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