Author Topic: British father and son, 12, killed in Alps fall - Le Couloir des Bossons  (Read 2657 times)

Lyle Brotherton

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I spent all day Saturday filming how to use a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) to follow on in my 'Help Me' series of videos. These little devices are the last resort to get help, but the never fail because they use satellites.
 
If the Michael and Charlie Saunders had used one, Michale, if not both of them, would probably be alive today. Absolutely tragic.

Education, education, education.
“Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance” - Plato

Callum

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My heart goes out to this family, but quite rightly Lyle we should learn from this in an attempt to prevent a similar incident happening again.

As I mentioned in a previous posting, I took the plunge and bought one for my Nepalese trek and frankly now would not venture out witholu8t it. Took Adi’s advice and got one with GPS, bought the Mcmurdo Ranger and, as you say Lyle, for around £20 per year it’s the best travel insurance you can buy.

Hobbo

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Looks like they will be talking about this on Jeremy Vine today. I'm sure there will be some outrageous and/or ill-informed comments of one form or another.
I don't know it all and when I think I do, I tend to find karma is just around the corner...

adi

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This is a tragic case. Although the farther and son being experienced this story highlights risks of taking on to much as in terrain and weather. If the decision had been made to stop and turn around or even not to go or to stay on low level routes this tragedy would never have happened. OK I am the first to tell people to get out there and test themselves. But the father overestimated his son abilities and lead him into danger.       

I might come across as being harsh but as a survival instructor it is important to pull these event apart to see what happened and learn from their mistakes. Yes this was tragic but it was not an accident. Accidents rarely happen, errors do and sadly they kill people.
"We do not belong to those who only get their thought from books, or at the prompting of books - it is our custom to think in the open air, walking, leaping, climbing or dancing, of lonesome mountains by preference, or close to the sea, where even the paths become thoughtful." Friedrich Nietzsche

Lost Soul

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In my opinioin Adi's comments are well made and to the point. 

Also - according to a BBC news report at the time - they were inappropriately equipped for the area and time of year.  The news article stated that the path they were on is said to be popular with summer hill walkers and is considered to be "challanging" (we all have our own definitions of that).  In winter it definaetly needs walkers to be shod with crampons, winter boots and using ice axes.  They had none of this kit, just normal walking boots.