The snow-covered slopes of the Valais Alps turned somber as the bodies of five skiers were found by rescuers near the luxury Zermatt resort in Switzerland. The tragic discovery occurred after a group of climbers noticed several pairs of skis left unattended close to the summit of the Rimpfischhorn peak, which stands at 4,199 meters.
Emergency services were quickly alerted, leading to extensive aerial and ground searches that resulted in the bodies being located on the Adler Glacier, according to a statement from local police. Victims were found at various altitudes in avalanche debris, with three bodies grouped together in one area and two more situated higher up on a narrow snowy patch.
Rescue service Air Zermatt confirmed that a fifth pair of skis was also found during the search, affirming that the group of skiers had originally been together as a party of five. They have yet to publicly disclose the identities of the victims.
In a similar vein, a separate incident took place on Friday night where Air Zermatt was involved in rescuing four alpinists stranded amid adverse weather conditions on the Fiescherhörner. Following an aborted initial evacuation attempt due to fog and high winds, a successful rescue was completed shortly after midnight, bringing all four climbers to safety.
Emergency services were quickly alerted, leading to extensive aerial and ground searches that resulted in the bodies being located on the Adler Glacier, according to a statement from local police. Victims were found at various altitudes in avalanche debris, with three bodies grouped together in one area and two more situated higher up on a narrow snowy patch.
Rescue service Air Zermatt confirmed that a fifth pair of skis was also found during the search, affirming that the group of skiers had originally been together as a party of five. They have yet to publicly disclose the identities of the victims.
In a similar vein, a separate incident took place on Friday night where Air Zermatt was involved in rescuing four alpinists stranded amid adverse weather conditions on the Fiescherhörner. Following an aborted initial evacuation attempt due to fog and high winds, a successful rescue was completed shortly after midnight, bringing all four climbers to safety.
