Avalanche rescuer tells of struggle to save British climbers

Filed under: Travel News

A French mountain guide has spoken about the search for the three British climbers who died in an Avalanche in the French Alps last week.

Yann Delevaux told the Daily Mail that he and his colleagues used 10ft steel probes to search for victims.

He said: "I touched something with the probe. I shouted that I had found something and then the digging began. We got shovels, big shovels. The snow is heavy."

He added: "The first thing we saw was a badge - we knew then that we had found a mountain guide. You wish they are going to move but you know really that there's no chance.

"We saw that he was roped to someone. We dug and dug and followed the rope and found the second body. We saw the rope continued. We then found a third body.

"It's a clash of emotions. You are happy that you have found them but they are dead. That's terrible."

He explained: "You have such a range of emotions. They are someone's loved one, and as a guide you realise it could have been you."

Mr Delevaux and the team of rescuers found guide Roger Payne, Steve Barber and John Taylor.

They died along with three Germans, two Spaniards and one Swiss when the avalanche hit just after 5am on Thursday.

The men were in a party of 28 climbers on Mont Maudit, on their way to the summit of Mont Blanc.

Yesterday a memorial service was held for the victims at the church of St Michael in Chamonix.

Mr Payne was one of Britain's most respected climbers and Mr Barber and Mr Taylor were best friends who lived in the Yorkshire village of Upper Poppleton, near York.

Today, prayers wil be offered up for them and their families at All Saints Church in their home village.

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