Seven rescue helicopters were swiftly dispatched to search for survivors. “Two injured people were quickly treated before being airlifted to Sion Hospital, and a third person was subsequently rescued,” according to police.
Mr Courage, believed to be in his seventies and of the Courage brewery family, plunged an estimated 500m down a near vertical slope, was swept by the avalanche, and then fell 30m into a crevasse.
He and the two other Britons survived. The Hitchens brothers ended up close to each other despite falling a long way after the helicopter crash.
While emergency services swiftly recovered the brothers from under the snow, Mr Courage was stranded on a ledge in the crevasse for five hours before he was located thanks to a transceiver and winched up to safety.
Mr Courage, a figure in Verbier’s English-speaking church community, is reportedly undergoing operations, having suffered broken bones.
The brothers’ parents, Richard and Maeve, said: “Our thoughts are with the families of James, Adam and the pilot for their appalling losses.
“Ted was released from hospital today on crutches. Guy is still in hospital. No operations currently required but severely beaten up and bed-bound.”
Those who knew him said Mr George was a highly experienced and trusted guide who has scaled El Capitan many times, along with other difficult climbs such as the North face of the Eiger.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
