• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
British mum and son killed by avalanche while skiing in France

Home> News> UK News

Updated 09:43 30 Dec 2023 GMTPublished 09:30 30 Dec 2023 GMT

British mum and son killed by avalanche while skiing in France

A British woman and her son have been killed by an avalanche at a French ski resort

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

A British mother and her son have been killed by an avalanche on Mont Blanc in France.

The accident - involving a mum, 45, and her 22-year-old son - took place on Thursday afternoon (28 December) on the Argentière Glacier.

A hiker was also killed in a separate area, as another skier, reportedly an instructor, was left injured.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it was supporting the family of two Britons who died.

Advert

An FCDO spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of two British people who died in France and are in contact with the local authorities.”

Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The avalanche travelled through an off-piste section of the Saint-Gervais-les-Bains ski resort on Thursday as a search -and-rescue effort was deployed.

The five-hour mission involved 20 rescuers, two dog teams, a doctor and two helicopters.

Bonneville public prosecutor’s office said the avalanche may have been caused by cross-country skiers who were uphill.

Advert

It added that a manslaughter investigation has been opened by police in Chamonix and that post-mortem examinations will take place in the coming days at the medical-legal institute in Grenoble.

Alexandre Merlin, director of the Saint Gervais led Bains ski area, told MailOnline: "The snow conditions are very unstable, it's difficult to know what will hold or not, the snow cover is not compacted and it is rather dangerous to go out.

"Overall, you shouldn't go off the slopes, we have little snow, the slopes are well maintained, but outside, there are stones, and there can be unstable areas."

Saint-Gervais Mayor Jean-Marc Peillex told BFM television: "It rained, it snowed, it was warm. There are enough marked paths to ski on.

"It's terrible what happened. A family is decimated, and we are very sad in Saint-Gervais."

Advert

JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images

A spokesperson from the Haute-Savoie regional government said: "An avalanche 400m long occurred this Thursday, December 28, 2023 at 3.30pm, in the off-piste area, at an altitude of 2,300 meters and near the Mont-Joly chairlift located in the Mont-Joly ski area. Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, involving eight people.

"A major search and rescue system was immediately deployed by the emergency services. slopes of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, reinforced and commanded by the high-level gendarmerie platoon mountain (PGHM) of Chamonix.

"The final report shows two victims dead, one lightly injured and five other people unhurt.

"Yves Le Breton, prefect of Haute-Savoie would like to send his sincere condolences to the loved ones of the victims and his thoughts to those involved in this avalanche.

Advert

"He also thanks all the personnel who made it possible to carry out the search operations."

Featured Image Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images/JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images

Topics: UK News, Travel

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

8 hours ago
9 hours ago
  • Alex Wong/Getty ImagesAlex Wong/Getty Images
    8 hours ago

    Mark Zuckerberg caught on hot mic telling Trump he didn't know how to answer question about AI

    Zuckerberg joined a number of tech bosses at the White House

    News
  • Getty StockGetty Stock
    9 hours ago

    Doctor explains when being nice could actually be a huge problem

    Being nice is great, but it can harm your health, apparently

    News
  • SWNSSWNS
    9 hours ago

    Boy, 12, overdoses on 'Tyson Fury' gum and mum demands change to the law

    The mum was 'so scared' about her son

    News
  • Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesDimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
    9 hours ago

    Tom Hanks dealt major award blow on same day as Trump issues new order

    Tom Hanks was set to receive a prestigious award later this month

    News
  • Major search underway as British boy, 3, ‘abducted by his mum’ in Spain
  • British woman 'grabs crying child from airport queue and refuses to give him back'
  • Family of Brits killed in Lisbon tram crash share heartbreak as officials issue update on cause
  • British student, 23, jailed for life in Dubai after 'very stupid mistake' has fundraiser removed for major reason