Carried away by a snowslide, a 72-year-old Valaisan was first rescued by his teammates. His days are endangered. An investigation has been opened.
© Valais cantonal police
The hiker was caught in an avalanche 35 meters wide and 150 meters long on Friday.
Early Friday followingnoon, a group of five hikers climbed the “Tita Da Terra” summit, located on the heights of Conthey (VS), in the Col du Sanetsch region. During the descent, and for reasons that the investigation will have to determine, one of them was carried away by an avalanche 35 meters wide by 150 meters long, at an altitude of 2400 meters, announces the police cantonal in a press release.
The hiker, a 72-year-old from Valais living in the region, was first rescued by his teammates. The latter managed to locate it and free it from the snow mass. Unconscious, he was medicalized on the spot and then airlifted to Sion hospital. His days are endangered. The investigation was opened by the Public Ministry.
In Switzerland, since last October, around thirty people have been swept away in around twenty avalanche accidents, reports the Institute for the Study of Snow and Avalanches (SLF).
