Swiss rescuers find the bodies of five missing skiers

Five missing skiers were found dead in the Swiss Alps and a search was on for a sixth member of their group, local police said on Monday.

The skiers set off from the Swiss resort of Zermatt on Saturday morning, heading towards the village of Arolla, over a range of snow-capped peaks.

A family member alerted rescue services on Saturday afternoon that the group of Swiss citizens aged 21 to 58 had failed to reach the village, according to a statement from Valais region police.

One of the skiers managed to call for help about an hour later, allowing rescuers to locate the group near the summit of Tête Blanche mountain at about 3,500 meters, the force’s commander told a news conference on Monday. But due to severe weather conditions and the risk of avalanches, the search was suspended until the next day.

Rescuers had “tried the impossible,” said Christian Varone, the commander. But, he added, “sometimes one has to surrender in the face of nature” so as not to put the lives of rescuers in “great danger.”

Search and rescue operations resumed on Sunday and police said the five bodies were discovered around 9:20 p.m.

Mr Varone said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of death, but noted that the skiers “were in an extremely complicated situation” in low temperatures.

Weather conditions in Zermatt were “relatively good” when the group left, but had deteriorated quickly, he said.

In the mountains, “we can get going and everything changes very quickly,” he added.

Seven hikers died in the same area in the spring of 2018 when they were caught in a storm and froze to death. recent documentary.