Irish man among three killed in helicopter crash in Swiss alps

An Irish man has died in a helicopter crash in the Swiss Alps on Tuesday.

The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it was aware of the death of an Irish man, who was one of three people killed in the incident on the Petit Combin mountain.

The helicopter they were travelling in crashed at the mountain’s airfield and slid onto its northern slope.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it was ready to provide consular assistance to the man’s family.

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The pilot of the helicopter, named in reports as Jerome Lovey, and a mountain guide Adam George, were also killed in the accident.

Three other British men, Edward Courage and brothers Teddy and Guy Hitchens, survived the crash, according to reports.

Police in the Swiss region of Valais said in the statement that the crash occurred around 9.25am local time, when the Air-Glaciers B3-type helicopter the men were travelling in crashed while heliskiing on the Petit Combin airfield.

“As a result, the plane slid into the northern slope at the summit of the 3,668m-high mountain for reasons that have not yet been clarified,” the statement, written in German, said.

Seven rescue helicopters attended the scene, police said.

“In addition to the pilot, the helicopter was manned by a mountain guide and his four customers. Two injured people were able to receive immediate medical care before they were flown to the hospital in Sion. A third person was later rescued as well.

“The other three occupants of the plane could only be recovered lifeless.”

Swiss safety authorities have commenced an investigation to clarify the cause of the incident, while the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has started a criminal investigation into the incident.

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