£57,000-a-year Swiss school says it is ‘deeply saddened’ after British student killed in avalanche
Teachers at £57,000-a-year Swiss boarding school say they are ‘deeply saddened’ after British student, 18, was killed in avalanche on ski trip – as search for American student buried alive continues
- Seven students from Ecole d’Humanité were on a ski tour when an avalanche hit
- Two students equipped with avalanche safety equipment were buried
- Briton, 18, from boarding school murdered and a female American student is still missing
Devastated teachers at a £57,000-a-year boarding school in Switzerland say they are ‘deeply saddened’ after an 18-year-old British student was killed and his American classmate went missing in an avalanche on a skiing trip.
Seven students from the prestigious Swiss boarding school Ecole d’Humanité were on a ski tour when an avalanche hit the Gstelliwang ski slope near Meiringen at 4:25 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21.
The body of the male British student was found while a search continues for a female American student who was also buried under the snow. Neither has been mentioned by Swiss officials.
The school said in a statement that the “highly experienced group” had taken precautions for a ski tour and provided students with avalanche transceivers, probes and shovels.
Search and rescue efforts began immediately, but “all help came too late” for the 18-year-old Briton, the school said in a message to parents.
Seven students from the prestigious Swiss boarding school Ecole d’Humanité were on a ski tour when an avalanche hit Gstelliwang near Meiringen on Tuesday, March 21 at 4:25 p.m. (photo: the search for the buried American student)
The school statement on the tragedy read: ‘We regret this terrible accident and are deeply saddened.
“We extend our sincere condolences and sympathy to all students, their families and relatives.”
The search for the second buried student, who Ecole d’Humanité says is a girl from the US, is still ongoing after it was interrupted around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday and did not continue until daylight the next day.
The 18-year-old Briton who died in the avalanche was originally from England but lived in Bern, where he attended the £57,000-a-year international school.
The school in the town of Hasliberg is a short distance from the Gstelliwang ski slope on the Wellhorn mountain in the area of Meiringen, the next town.
The deadly avalanche hit around 4:25 p.m. Mountain rescue teams and a helicopter were deployed to assist survivors.
The two students, who were on a ski tour with a mountain guide, a youth and sports leader and three other outside persons, were on their way to the Gstelliwang slope when an avalanche hit and buried them both, according to the cantonal police in Bern.
Swiss Alpine Rescue Rega crews, Swiss Alpine Rescue, several Rega, Air-Glaciers and Swiss Helicopter helicopters, mountain specialists and other employees of the Canton of Bern Police and Canton of Bern Care Team are currently looking for the second person.
The school has announced that a care team has been available for those who need it since Tuesday evening.
It added: ‘People are also on hand for psychological care, including individual bereavement counselling. This integral guidance continues until the students leave.’
The Gstelliwang escarpment where the avalanche struck is located at the foot of the Wellhorn’s northwest face.
According to a Swiss topographical map, it is assigned the height of almost 2118 meters.
In summer and winter, however, you can still climb almost 400 meters to the foot of the Northwest Face of the Wellhorn.
The school said in a statement that the “highly experienced group” had taken the necessary precautions for a ski trip, such as taking the avalanche forecast into account and equipping students with avalanche transceivers, probes and shovels.
