Reporting an accident on the slopes

Protect, alert, assist

Those three words set the order. Protect first, because a second collision at the same spot is the most immediate risk: skiers arriving from above only see the scene at the last moment.

• Protect: plant a pair of skis crossed in the snow a few metres above the casualty, clearly visible
• Alert: call the piste service, or 112 if you do not have its number
• Assist: cover the casualty, talk to them, do not move them
• Stay on scene until the rescue team arrives

Which number to call

On a ski area, front-line rescue is provided by the resort’s own piste patrollers, not by the public emergency services. Calling the piste service directly therefore saves time — provided you have the number.

What information to give

How good the alert is decides how fast help arrives. Location matters most: on a large ski area, "on the red run" is not enough — there are several.

• The name of the piste and its colour
• The nearest reference point: lift pylon number, junction, or lift name
• How many people are hurt and their apparent condition: conscious, breathing, bleeding
• Whether the person is conscious and able to speak
• Your phone number — and stay reachable

If you have no phone signal

112 routes over whatever network is available, including an operator other than your own. If it still will not connect, the answer is not to ski down and fetch help yourself — it is to send the alert with someone else.

• Ask another skier to reach the nearest lift station and tell a member of staff
• Give them the same details: piste, reference point, condition of the casualty
• Stay with the casualty, with the scene protected
• Only leave the casualty if you are alone and no alert has been able to get out

Community reports, as a complement

Alerting the rescue services and warning other skiers are two different acts. The first triggers the response; the second prevents a second collision and stops people arriving at full speed into a crowded scene. A shared report is only worth anything if it is reliable, which is why other skiers present confirm it.

On-piste rescue is chargeable

In France, rescue by piste patrollers on a ski area is billed to the person rescued, at a tariff set by the local council. The amount depends on the zone and rises sharply off-piste or where a helicopter is involved.

This is what season insurance products and the cover bundled into some lift passes and policies are for. Check this before the trip rather than after.

Frequently asked questions