Just before a terrifying avalanche in the Swiss Alps swept the helicopter down a mountain, a British skier saved the lives of two brothers by pushing them out.
On Tuesday morning, Edward Courage pushed young brothers Teddy and Guy Hitchens out of the stricken helicopter as it crashed from the pinnacle of the Petit Combin mountain near Verbier.
Mr. Courage, in his 70s, remained cool before leaping to his own safety before the avalanche destroyed the Air-Glaciers B3-type helicopter, killing pilot Jerome Lovey, fellow skier James Goff, and professional guide Adam George.
Mr. Courage tumbled several hundred feet down the slope and was located five hours later with multiple fractured bones. They took him and the two brothers to the hospital for treatment.
The Telegraph carried a statement from the Hitchens’ parents, Richard and Maeve, saying: “Our thoughts are with the families of James, Adam, and the pilot for their tragic losses.
Ted left the hospital today wearing crutches. Guy is still in the hospital.” No operations are currently required, but I am severely beaten and bed-bound.”
According to a representative for the Valais regional police department, the aircraft fell down the northern side after reaching the crest of a mountain at 3,668 meters above sea level for an unknown reason.
Air Glaciers, the helicopter company that was also participating in the rescue attempts, told local media: “We are very horrified by this tragedy.” Our thoughts are with the victims’ families and relatives.”
According to a police statement, seven rescue helicopters arrived at the scene, helping to extract two passengers and transport them to a nearby hospital. They managed to save another person, but discovered three others dead.
The inquiry will be led by federal prosecutors as well as regional and national police.
An American teenager and two others lost their lives in an avalanche in the Swiss resort of Zermatt.
The 15-year-old was among those slain, according to Alex Beiga’s swim coach.
“Alex was the first to say, ‘Yes, let’s do it, and go make memories.'” He was just so vibrant, so full of life,” said Emilija Mockus, a family friend. “The only calm part of me is that knowing how adventurous he was and how much he loved skiing, he was looking at the most beautiful mountains.”
The avalanche occurred at about 2 p.m. Monday in an off-piste area of the Riffelberg, above the resort and below the famed Matterhorn peak.
Three bodies and an injured skier, a 20-year-old Swiss man, were recovered by rescuers.
Last month, a family of five who “lost their bearings” froze to death during an icy storm on an Alps ski tour.
The cross-country skiers, five of them members of the same family from Valais canton, went missing near the 3,710-meter-high Tête Blanche mountain on Saturday on the Zermatt-Arolla path.
Brothers Jean-Vincent Moix, 30, David Moix, 27, and Laurent Moix, 21, were found dead on the mountain alongside their cousin Marc Moix, 44, and uncle Joel Moix, 58.
More than a dozen people have lost their lives in avalanches in Switzerland since October last year.
