The lifeless bodies of the four climbers stranded since Saturday evening on the roof of the Alps, have been found on the north face of Mont Blanc, about 100m below the summit. The two Koreans and the two Italians died of exhaustion.
Stranded on Mont-Blanc
Unfortunately, there were no miracles. The lifeless bodies of the four climbers, stranded for three days on the summit slopes of Mont Blanc, were found early in the afternoon, Tuesday 10 September 2024.
The two teams, one formed by two Korean friends and the other made up of an Italian woman and an Italian man were found located slightly distant from each other.
Both teams had taken the Three Monts route. Starting from the Aiguille du Midi with an overnight at the Cosmiques refuge. Then ascending Mont Blanc du Tacul (photo in high wind) before traversing to Mont Maudit , then continuing on the the summit of Mont Blanc.
Unfavorable weather conditions
The search and rescue that commenced on Saturday had not been successful due to the very bad weather. On Tuesday morning the wind had dropped and skies cleared enough for a team from the Annecy PGHM to resume the operation. Taking off from Annecy in a Securitie Civile Dragon 74 helicopter, their expectations were low.
As the Dragon 74 circled the summit of Mont-Blanc at 4,808meters above sea level, the team onboard attempted to locate the climbers. This was no easy task. The wind had blown the snow, covering almost all of the climber's bodies. Nevertheless, the the Annecy PGHM was able to identify the bodies.
Another helicopter was requested. This was a Chamonix PGHM Choucas that arrived in minutes. With both helicopters landing close to the summit of Mont Blanc, the four inanimate bodies were recovered and transported to the DZ des Bois, in the Chamonix Valley.
Mountaineers 'Died of Exhaustion'
According to the Prefecture of the Haute-Savoie located in Annecy, the four mountaineers 'Died of exhaustion'. This is not the medical cause of death.
Le Dauphiné
