Avalanche in Tignes 5th December 2012

So who exactly are UCPA? I'm a bit confused about this.

I really hope no-one died as a result of this avalanche - I can't help thinking how awful it would be if this happened to one of my daughters :cry:

Dave Mac wrote:I read earlier today this was a UCPA group, and the instructor gave the go ahead.
No avy gear, and a level 4.
Mixed messages about if the second lady survived, she had a cardiac arrest, then the pulse started beating. Later heard that she hadn't made it. There is always a problem with people reading half a story, and adding their own bits.

I think the problem is people relying on Internet translations of French reports, the reports that she had died seem to have come from badly translated medical terms in one of the French reports.

UCPA are:

UCPA: National Association for Outdoor Sports Centres
UCPA is a not for profit organisation as defined by the French law of 1901, an association of youth organisations unique in France made up of corporate bodies, created in 1965. It is run by government bodies, including Ministries with responsibility for Health, Young People, Sport and Community Service. The UCPA organisation views its humanistic and socially aware programme as an extension of public service, and participates in the implementation of public policies aimed at the young.

The UCPA's mission: to make outdoor sports accessible to the greatest possible number of young people, in the best conditions of safety and practice.

UCPA offers an unrivalled quality of teaching with its UCPA instructors who are state qualified or undergoing training. It subscribes to an open style of teaching that adapts to everyone's personality and development.

UCPA, also guarantees the quality of its sports equipment. Its entire pool of equipment is refurbished and reconditioned regularly to make your learning easier and more enjoyable throughout. Instructors and trainees test sports equipment for the biggest brand names in skiing, surfing and sportswear…

andyhull wrote:


I think the problem is people relying on Internet translations of French reports, the reports that she had died seem to have come from badly translated medical terms in one of the French reports.

You believe that the original French article link I posted from Le Dauphine is incorrect?

Here is the French version, copied and pasted from the link at the top of the 1st page:

Deux skieurs ont été emportés ce mercredi matin, vers 11 h 30, par une avalanche à Tignes. Ils évoluaient dans le secteur hors-piste de Tovière, sur le versant nord, en dessous du haut de la ligne de l'Aeroski lorsqu'ils ont été surpris par la coulée. Les pisteurs-secouristes de Tignes se sont portés à leur secours, accompagnés de quelques-uns de leurs collègues de Val d'Isère et de moniteurs de ski de la station. L'hélicoptère de Modane n'a lui pas pu décoller en raison des mauvaises conditions météorologiques. Les deux victimes ensevelies, toutes les deux âgées d'une vingtaine d'années, ont finalement été retrouvées en toute fin de matinée. La première a été retrouvée inconsciente mais a vite repris connaissance. La seconde victime est une femme. Elle était, elle, en arrêt cardio-respiratoire mais a pu être réanimée. Elle a été transportée à l'hôpital de Grenoble. Une troisième personne était avec les deux victimes mais elle n'a pas été ensevelie.

I'll post French stuff in French in future. You can decide on the translation between yourselves.

No not at all, the rumours that one had died came from another site where someone had posted a translated report which misled them to believe she had not survived. I wasn't referring to anything you had posted, just a general point that we should remember that these 'translators' provide an interpretation rather than a translation and important nuiances can be missed.
I've had a look this morning and a report posted an hour ago says she's still in a critical condition in hospital.

A manslaughter investigation has been launched by the French Prosecutor, following the death of the skier who was rescued in cardiac arrest.

Pistehors has more details:

http://pistehors.com/news/ski/comments/1058-one-dead-one-missing-in-tignes-avalanche/

Very sad turn of events.