On Saturday 18 March 2023, a climber died while descending from the Pellissier goulotte, in the Pointes Lachenal sector (3613 meters).
Accompanied by a friend with whom he was roped, the climber, who was wearing a helmet, was hit by a stone inflicting him a deep hemorrhage.
Immediately alerted at 2:00 p.m., the Chamonix PGHM rescuers went to the scene of the accident with the help of the helicopter. They found the victim in cardiopulmonary arrest.
Despite their efforts, they were unable to resuscitate him. His body was transported to the helicopter base in Les Bois. Shocked, his friend was taken care of by the rescuers.
According to Le Dauphine, the man in his thirties was from Rhône.
The commander of the Chamonix unit Bertrand Host declared "A rockfall is one of the objective risks of this kind of trail, but it's really bad luck, especially since the conditions are rather good" " Other roped parties were engaged in the route which is one of the classics of the Pointes Lachenal sector", adds the lieutenant-colonel, also indicating that a gendarmerie investigation has been opened in order to shed full light on the circumstances of this drama.
The Chamonix.net team expresses its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the victim.
A very busy Saturday for the PGHM rescuers
The day of Saturday, marked by a weather rather favorable to the practice of the mountain, was also very busy for the rescuers.
A little before 7:00 p.m., rescuers from the Chamonix high mountain gendarmerie platoon (PGHM) carried out eight interventions, mainly for traumatological injuries.
Source: @Le Dauphine