Camera footage of the missing 21-year-old were shared on PGHM Chamonix’s social media accounts. | Image: PGHM Chamonix Mont Blanc Facebook
A 21-year-old hiker who had been missing for two days in the mountains above Chamonix, France, was found Sunday, March 15, by rescue teams but later died after being transported to the hospital.
According to the mountain rescue unit PGHM Chamonix (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne), the young man was discovered around noon on the western side of the Aiguilles Rouges massif, between the Pont d’Arlevé and the Col du Brévent. He was found unconscious and suffering from severe hypothermia. Rescuers rushed him by helicopter to Annecy Hospital, where doctors attempted to revive him. He was pronounced dead around 1 p.m. “He was declared dead in the hospital. He was exhausted,” PGHM officer Jonathan Ferré said to French news. “They tried to reanimate him, but it did not work.”
The hiker had been missing since Friday, March 13, after he was last seen in the backcountry above the Chamonix Valley. His phone had last been located between the summit of the Index Chairlift and Lac Blanc, both located in the Aiguilles Rouges range across the valley from the Mont Blanc Massif. PGHM initially believed he had planned to hike from the Flégère Lift Station toward the Lac Blanc Refuge, a common route in the area. However, witness reports later suggested he had changed direction.
Over the weekend, PGHM issued a public call for witnesses after the man was last seen near the Col des Aiguilles Crochues around 12:30 p.m. Friday, March 13. Several people reported seeing a man matching his description traveling on snowshoes while carrying skis, an unusual method of travel in terrain typically accessed via ski touring. One witness even spoke briefly with him and recalled the hiker saying he intended to return via the Col du Brévent route. Those testimonies helped rescuers redirect their search to the western side of the Crochues pass.
According to investigators, the young man likely fell during the night between Saturday and Sunday while attempting to descend toward the Brévent area. “He fell and lost consciousness,” Ferré said.
The terrain around the Crochues Pass and Lac Blanc is a well-known backcountry zone accessed from the Brévent–Flégère Ski Area. The region attracts ski tourers and hikers for its spectacular views of Mont Blanc, but it also features steep slopes, exposed ridges, and challenging winter conditions.
Search teams had been mobilized since Friday to locate the missing hiker.
Authorities have not released the identity of the victim.
The young man had been missing since Friday, March 13. | Image: PGHM Chamonix Mont Blanc Facebook