This Article is From Mar 17, 2013

British climber, son fall to death in French Alps

Paris: Police say a British climber and his 12-year-old son have been found dead after plunging several hundred yards down a mountain in the French Alps.

Capt. Patrice Ribes of the mountain gendarme service in Chamonix said the father alerted rescuers by telephone Saturday that his son had fallen. Rescuers found both of them dead early Sunday on a slope between Bossons and Les Houches beneath Mont Blanc.

Ribes said the father, who was 48, had apparently fallen himself while trying to rescue his son. He said the two were well-equipped for climbing in summer conditions but not enough for winter.

Their identities were not released. The British Foreign Office was helping the family.

The Mont Blanc massif is one of Europe's most popular - and deadly - climbing areas.

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