Family of British mother and son killed in France avalanche ‘beyond heartbroken’
The family of a British mother and son killed by an avalanche in France have told how they are “beyond heartbroken” following the “tragic accident”.
The pair have been named as Kate Vokes, 54, and Archie Vokes, 22, from Manchester, were found dead by mountain rescuers around Saint-Gervais, a resort near Chamonix, on Thursday afternoon (28 December).
In a statement, the family said: “We are beyond heartbroken at the loss of our beloved, wonderful Kate and Archie.
“Words cannot express how terrible we all feel nor the hole in our lives that has been left by this tragic accident.
“We kindly ask for privacy as we grieve together as a family.”
Ms Vokes was chair of the Oglesby Charitable Trust, a director of their family-owned property company Bruntwood, deputy chair of the Royal Exchange Theatre and a trustee of charities Shared Health and Focussed Care.
Archie was a personal trainer at Form in Manchester and in the previous year had achieved his level 1 ski instructor qualification in Canada.
The pair were skiing off-piste when they were hit by the avalanche at around 3.30pm on Thursday, local authorities said.
It is understood they were skiing with a group of five who were all part of the same family and a guide they had known for years.
The guide was pulled out of the snow by rescuers and only suffered minor injuries.
The avalanche started near the Saint-Gervais resort at an altitude of around 2,300 metres (7,546 feet), before travelling around 400 metres.
It is believed that the avalance was triggered by a group of skiers who were at a higher altitude.
A search for the pair made up of around 20 rescuers, two dog teams, a doctor and two helicopters, lasted around five hours.
Karline Bouisset, of the Bonneville Public Prosecutor’s Office (BPPO) said the pair were discovered after a five hour search and were “buried and deceased” when rescuers got to them.
An investigation has been opened by local rescuers to try and determine how the avalanche occurred.
Another skier, reportedly an instructor, was left injured and a hiker was killed in a separate area after the avalanche.
The avalanche may have been caused by cross-country skiers, the BPPO said.
The prosecutor’s office added that a manslaughter investigation has been opened by police in nearby Chamonix.
Saint-Gervais mayor Jean-Marc Peillex called weather conditions too unstable for skiing following the pair’s death.
He told BFM television: “It rained, it snowed, it was warm. There are enough marked paths to ski on.
“It’s terrible what happened. A family is decimated, and we are very sad in Saint-Gervais.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson said previously: “We are supporting the family of two British people who died in France and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Due to warmer temperatures, some lower-altitude resorts in France have had no snow yet this winter – and they have blanket slopes with artificial snow so they could open.
Additional reporting by Press Association and Associated Press.
