A helicopter crash in the Swiss Alps on the Petit Combin mountain tragically resulted in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to three others during a heliskiing operation. The accident, involving a B3-type helicopter, occurred as the aircraft attempted to land and subsequently slid down the northern slope near the summit. The helicopter was carrying a pilot, Jerome Lovey, a mountain guide, and four clients at the time of the crash. Among the survivors were three British skiers – Edward Courage, a brewery heir, and brothers Teddy and Guy Hitchens. Edward Courage was credited with a heroic act of pushing the brothers from the aircraft before it slid off the summit, although he then fell 500 meters into a crevasse and awaited rescue for five hours.

The incident, which took place on an undisclosed date recently, prompted a major rescue operation involving seven helicopters dispatched by the Wallis regional police force. Two of the injured were airlifted to a hospital in Sion shortly after the crash, while the third injured person was rescued later. The identities of the deceased, including young skier James Goff and guide Adam George, were confirmed in the aftermath of the accident.

This accident follows closely after another tragedy in the Valais canton, where an avalanche claimed the lives of three individuals, including a 15-year-old boy from the United States. The Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office and the Swiss Safety Investigation Service have launched investigations into the cause of the helicopter crash. The events continue to be examined to understand the causes and prevent future incidents.