Fatality above Chamonix: a fatal fall above Chamonix on the Aiguille du Midi.
Saturday 16 Aug 2014, at 8pm, the wife of a local high mountain guide alerted the Chamonix PGHM that her husband was lost while ascending the Aiguille du Midi with two clients.
Sunday morning, the rescuers started looking for the lost guide and his two clients. As the preliminary investigation revealed, Friday afternoon, the group started ascending to the Cosmiques Refuge. From there, they were planning to head towards the Vallée Blanche. The PGHM found the group at the bottom of the Aiguille du Midi.
The main cause of the tragedy seems to be the bad weather. The three alpinists were climbing all roped together when the accident occurred. While they were ascending the Aiguille du Midi ridge, a snow corniche collapsed, carrying them approx. 800m down the ridge to their death
On arrival at the scene of the accident, the PGHM confirmed that all three victims were dead. An investigation was opened to clarify the circumstances of the accident.
The identity of the victims was not released to the press, but official sources announced that the guide was from the Haute Savoie, while his clients were Parisians.
