ZERMATT, Switzerland – Five skiers were found dead in the Swiss Alps this weekend, with a sixth person still missing. The five were discovered at 9:20pm local time on Sunday night.
According to the BBC, the group of six departed on a ski tour from Zermatt to Arolla, traveling along the popular Haute Route and going missing near the Tete Blanche mountain. The group was made up of Swiss skiers between the ages of 21 and 58, with five being from the same family.
Heavy snowfall and high winds made the search significantly more difficult, and though the official cause of death has not been released, the extreme weather is likely to blame.
“The end result was clear, the people froze to death. They got caught in a storm, probably lost their bearings and didn’t know what to do… You could see that they tried, but unfortunately they were very poorly equipped and with those little shovels in the hard snow, there wasn’t much they could do.” – Mountain guide Anjan Truffer
According to Reuters, eleven helicopters were utilized throughout the search and rescue effort, and a five-person rescue team departed on foot from Zermatt on Saturday. The team was unable to reach the group’s last known location on Saturday, forced to turn around within just 500-meters of the spot.
The search for the sixth individual still ongoing.
“Our priority is to find that sixth person. As long as there is hope we will do all we can, but we have to be realistic about the conditions that person has lived through over the past 48 hours.” – Police chief Christian Varone
Related: Skier Dead After Fall At Tuckerman Ravine; 2 Others Suffer Serious Injuries
Featured Image Credit: The 414 Company on Unsplash