Overview
- A 42-year-old French skier swept off-piste at Thyon on Jan. 14 was airlifted to Sion and died a day later, police said.
- On Jan. 15 at Chamoson’s Pointe de Chemo, four ski tourers were caught on descent; a 42-year-old Swiss man died at the scene and two others, a 41-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman, were injured and airlifted to hospitals in Berne and Sion.
- Authorities counted three avalanche fatalities in Valais over two days and the public prosecutor opened inquiries into both incidents.
- Rescue efforts involved the cantonal rescue organization (OCVS) with support from two Air-Glaciers helicopters and one Air Zermatt aircraft that located and dug out buried victims.
- Police, citing the SLF, warned of persistent, locally increasing danger at level 3 (orange) and noted roughly twenty avalanche responses in the canton since the start of the year.