GENEVA, Switzerland: Police in the canton of Valais confirmed on Monday that five of the six cross-country skiers who went missing in the Swiss Alps over the weekend have been found dead. The search is still ongoing for the remaining individual.
The group, ranging in age from 21 to 58, departed from Zermatt on Saturday morning with the intention of reaching the town of Arolla later that day.
Unfortunately, the skiers went missing in the vicinity of the Tete Blanche mountain amidst adverse weather conditions. A storm over the weekend hindered rescue efforts, preventing helicopters and rescuers from accessing the area. However, on Sunday evening, a team was finally able to be dropped off by helicopter nearby, according to a statement from the police.
“At around 9:20 pm (2020 GMT) it reached the Tete Blanche sector, where it discovered the bodies of five of the six people who were missing,” the statement read. While five of the skiers are members of the same family, authorities have not yet disclosed their identities.
A Press conference is scheduled to take place later in the day in the canton capital Sion to provide further details on the tragic incident. The group was reported missing by a family member who was supposed to pick them up in Arolla on Saturday.
