The victim from Haute-Savoie "was found in cardio-respiratory arrest during an avalanche reconnaissance in an off-piste area and could not be resuscitated," said the gendarmes. The man was 54 years old.

A 54-year-old man lost his life, buried under an avalanche, Sunday, above the Vallorcine station and the village of Buet, in Haute-Savoie, we learned from mountain rescue workers. The victim from Haute-Savoie "was found in cardio-respiratory arrest during an avalanche reconnaissance in an off-piste area and could not be resuscitated," said the High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon (PGHM) from Chamonix.

A high risk of avalanche

Given the significant accumulations of fresh snow blown since the beginning of the week, the estimate of the risk of avalanches was high (level 4 out of 5) in the Alps, for the Aravis, Chablais, Mont-Blanc and Bauges. Avalanche releases are likely even with low overload on many slopes due to the presence of fragile wind slabs, said the prefecture of Haute-Savoie.