Overview
- The accident occurred Thursday on the Aiguille du Peigne in the Mont Blanc massif and left 39-year-old Mendoza enologist Gabriel Ansiaume dead while his Argentine companion suffered serious injuries.
- The Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne (PGHM) of Chamonix carried out the rescue using helicopter Dragon 74 and confirmed Ansiaume’s death at the scene.
- The survivor was airlifted to the hospital reported by most outlets as Sallanches, where he underwent surgery and remains in recovery with serious trauma.
- French authorities are investigating the cause of the fall; some media have reported an unconfirmed hypothesis that the accident occurred during a rappel when anchors or attachments may have come loose.
- Ansiaume was a well-known figure in Mendoza’s wine sector with projects including Contrabando and Rattus, and his death has prompted widespread messages of grief from colleagues and institutions.