Two deaths on the mountains this weekend
Separate incidents claim lives

by Alison Shayler | Ski Editor | published: 30th Jan, 2012

Yesterday was a busy day for the Chamonix mountain police, with two separate incidents claiming the lives of two people.

Click on image to view full size

  • Image showing couloir des cosmiques location

    The Couloir des Cosmiques (no.3) credit: Campocamp.org

  • An image of the Charles Bozon black piste in Chamonix Mont Blanc

    Body found on the Brevent black piste Charles Bozon credit: Chamonet.com

Sunday morning began with the discovery of a dead body on one of the Brevent pistes. Pisteurs called the gendarmes at 9am to report that they had found the body on the Charles Bozon black piste that starts at the very top of the ski area. Piste bashers had passed over the area the evening before, so the deceased must have accessed the piste during the night. However no further information has been released, so it is unknown what they were doing up there or how they had go there. A criminal investigation is now underway.

Later in the day there was another drama when an avalanche struck the Couloir des Cosmiques beneath the Aiguille du Midi on the right bank of the Bossons glacier at around 4pm. A group of 4 people were caught in its path and a Chamonix local, Felix Hentz, was swept away. Despite the bad weather two EC 145 rescue helicopters were sent out into the thick fog to search for the thirty year old; unfortunately Felix was found dead after 2 hours.

Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of both men.

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