Fatal winter storm mont Blanc that forced rescuers to reconsider their work
On Christmas Eve 1956, 23-year-old Jean Vincendon and 21-year-old François Henry set out on a winter ascent of the Brenva ridge on the Italian slope mont Blanc. On the way out, they met the famous Italian climber Walter Bonatti and his partner Silvano Gheser. When the weather deteriorated sharply, both pairs tried to reach the summit, but a storm separated the climbers. Exhausted, Vincenton and Henri lost their course in the area of the combe Maudite glacier at an altitude of over 4,000 meters.
The Chamonix could not agree on a rescue method for a long time. Only some of the local guides showed a willingness to act, and attempts to involve a ground team led by Lionel Terray were hampered by disputes about the risk. The helicopter was able to drop supplies to the victims and an instruction to climb higher, but on December 31, the heavy military aircraft Sikorsky S-58 crashed while attempting to land in the snow. The rescuers and crew survived and placed the freezing climbers in the fuselage of the machine, but were forced to retreat themselves due to injuries and a new flurry of bad weather.
Due to days of frost, severe frostbite of the boys, and extreme weather conditions, the operation headquarters deemed further flights deadly and called off the search. The bodies of the dead were only lowered into the valley on March 20, 1957.
Context
Before this tragedy, mountain rescue had largely relied on the voluntary initiatives of local guides. The wave of criticism after the deaths of the climbers led to a government reform in 1958: coordination of mountain operations was assigned to the state, and a specialized gendarmerie unit was created in Chamonix, which later became PGHM.