A minimum of 4 runners are believed to have fallen on steep slopes in the course of the early morning hours of Saturday, June 15, 2024, on the Extremely-Path du Haut Giffre (UTHG) race in France in dangerous climate circumstances. Reviews point out that one succumbed to their accidents and no less than three extra have been evacuated to hospitals with extreme accidents.
In a assertion on its social media channels, the occasion mentioned, “It’s with nice disappointment that we announce that UTHG has simply realized of a tragic occasion with the unintentional loss of life of a racer. The primary responders on the scene intervened instantly and supplied first support whereas awaiting his evacuation. All our ideas are with the sufferer’s household and family members.”
The 2024 Extremely-Path du Haut Giffre’s official communication concerning the tragedy at its occasion. Picture: 2024 Extremely-Path du Haut Giffre
An area public prosecutor, Karline Bouisset, has spoken to an area media supply, “BFMTV,” and shared a number of extra particulars. She mentioned that one man in his fifties handed away, probably attributable to cardiac arrest. She additionally mentioned that two males, one in his fifties and one in his thirties, have been significantly injured with numerous traumas, in addition to yet one more runner who was much less significantly injured.
The three-day UTHG takes the form of a large-scale European ultra-trail competition, internet hosting seven races out of the city of Samoëns, which is positioned about 30 miles southeast of Geneva, Switzerland, and 20 miles northwest of Chamonix, France. The occasion’s races vary from a youngsters’ race as much as a 128-kilometer occasion, the Extremely Tour des Lacs aux Cimes (UTLAC). The second-longest race is the 96-kilometer Extremely-Path du Haut-Giffre (UTHG). It seems that some 4,000 individuals have been registered throughout all of the occasions.
The 128k UTLAC and 96k UTHG have been scheduled to start on Friday, June 14, at 7 p.m. native time and 11:45 p.m, respectively. It seems from social media that the UTLAC began directly Friday night, whereas the UTHG was set to have a delayed departure of 6 a.m. native time on Saturday morning attributable to inclement climate earlier than it was in the end canceled together with all the occasion’s different races.
In line with Bouisset by way of “BFMTV,” rescue calls started round 4:35 a.m. native time on Saturday morning, due to falls “in a mountainous space made slippery by the climate circumstances.”
Thus, this presumes that the accidents concerned members within the 128k UTLAC. Whereas there isn’t any official data on the places and full nature of the accidents, race members are sharing on social media that the climate took a flip for the more serious someplace round 3 a.m. native time and the paths was flowing torrents of water and have become very slippery.
Whereas the precise sequence of occasions continues to be to be decided, some members additionally shared on social media that in this time they elected to cease in numerous support stations because of the dangerous climate, whereas others acquired textual content messages from the group saying the race was being halted and members evacuated. Some members additionally shared that they noticed others take small to reasonable falls, along with those that have been severely injured.
Media outlet “Le Dauphine” reviews that the rescue course of took many of the day Saturday and concerned the race group’s assets, 73 native firefighters, and the Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne (PGHM) mountain rescue service from Chamonix.
It is a creating story, and we’ll replace this text as extra data turns into accessible. When you have been a participant and wish to share your story, please contact iRunFar. iRunFar’s ideas are with all these affected by this tragedy.
[Last updated, Saturday, June 15, 6 p.m. U.S. Mountain Standard Time]
A screenshot from the 2024 Extremely-Path du Haut Giffre livestream displaying the lead male (left) on the Pointe d’Angolon descent, about 18 kilometers into the 128-kilometer Extremely Tour des Lacs aux Cimes earlier than darkish on Friday, June 14, 2024. The picture is supposed to exhibit the alpine panorama by way of which runners traveled.
