5 Skiers Found Dead Near Luxury Mountain Resort amid ‘Extremely Difficult' Weather: Reports
The bodies of five skiers have been discovered on a glacier close to the Rimpfischhorn mountain near Zermatt, Switzerland, police confirmed to multiple outlets on Sunday, May 25
The alarm was raised when two climbers saw abandoned skis at the foot of the summit of the mountain
The bodies were "quickly" discovered by the helicopter rescue team, Air ZermattThe bodies of five skiers were discovered on a glacier close to the summit of the Rimpfischhorn mountain near Zermatt, Switzerland, police announced on Sunday, May 25, according to multiple outlets, including CNN, The Guardian, and the BBC.
Swiss police said that the alarm was raised when two climbers came across abandoned skis at the foot of the summit of the mountain. CNN reported that the bodies were recovered the next day.
Police added that the bodies were 'quickly discovered' once a rescue helicopter flown by Air Zermatt with medical professionals on board arrived in the area, the outlet added. The Guardian noted that authorities have opened an investigation and are working on identifying the victims.
As reported by The Guardian, Air Zermatt said a group of mountaineers had spotted four pairs of abandoned skis at an altitude of about 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) as they made their way up the Rimpfischhorn.
After raising the alarm, the Swiss helicopter rescue agency said it found three bodies on an avalanche cone (a mass of snow deposited by a snow slip). The firm added that the additional two bodies were found about 650 feet away. The outlet added that the victims were located on the Adler glacier.
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According to CNN, police say formal identification of the victims is ongoing, while the Attorney General has opened an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the accident.
Air Zermatt said 'extremely difficult' weather conditions of 'heavy wind and fog' on the day of the incident meant they had to carry out another challenging rescue mission just before the discovery of the five skiers' bodies.
The BBC reported that two mountaineers had become stranded on the nearby Fiescherhörner mountain with an initial rescue attempt having to be aborted, while a subsequent attempt six hours later was successful.
The Rimpfischhorn is a 4,199-metre (13,776-foot) mountain that lies east of Zermatt, near the Italian border. It is popular with off-piste skiers.
Zermatt is one of Switzerland's most exclusive Alpine resorts, visited by affluent European skiers. However, the climb to Rimpfischhorn is considered a much more advanced expedition, located around five hours from Zermatt.
According to the BBC, there are a number of approaches to the climb, all of which require spending the night on the mountain in a "high hut."
Air Zermatt and the Swiss Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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