5 skiers found dead in Swiss Alps near luxury resort

Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the deaths of five skiers and examining avalanche activity in the region.

The bodies of five skiers have been found on a glacier above the Swiss resort town of Zermatt after two hikers reported seeing abandoned skis near the Rimpfischhorn, a 4,000-metre peak in the Valais Alps, authorities said on May 25.

An Air Zermatt aircraft with an emergency doctor, paramedic and two Valais Cantonal Rescue Organization specialists flew over the area immediately, according to authorities.

Valais cantonal police said Sunday the victims were located on the Adler Glacier following aerial and ground searches. Three of the bodies were found 500 metres from where the abandoned skis were located on an avalanche cone, according to CNN. (An avalanche cone is a deposit of snow and other debris that forms at the base of an avalanche’s path.)

The two other bodies were found 200 metres higher, according to Air Zermatt.

Formal identification of the victims is still underway, and their nationalities have not yet been released.

Authorities have opened an investigation into the circumstances. Weather conditions and avalanche activity in the region are being examined as part of the probe.

This isn’t the first time skiers have been found dead in the Swiss Alps.

In March 2024, five cross-country skiers were found dead on a mountaintop in the Swiss Alps.