Zermatt, Switzerland Avalanche Kills Three Skiers

In the video above, posted by NBC News, the person taking the video is exclaiming their concerns, and people are saying, "there were four people up there," meaning the carnage from the avalanche was clear to those near the resort. 

Besides the fatalities, a 20-year-old Swiss man was flown to a hospital with serious injuries.

The victims of the avalanche were a 15-year-old American boy, as well as a man and a woman whose identification has not yet been concluded, police in Valais canton (state) said in a statement. 

Four other people were freed from the avalanche snow, police said.

SKI Magazine reported that the rescue efforts were very involved. Two skiers were located by their avalanche search devices, one was found with Recco technology, and the fourth was found via cellphone GPS tracking. 

In total, 45 rescuers were involved, including eight K9 handlers and several additional patrollers working in the air. The search was called off after the four victims were found.

The conditions were sketchy before the avalanche occurred: heavy snowfall and strong winds had prompted authorities to warn of a major avalanche risk in the southern Swiss Alps.

The risk was considered especially high in the Grisons and Valais cantons. 

"Very large, and in some cases extremely large, spontaneous avalanches are to be expected," the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) said.

According to Bruno Jelk, head of the Zermatt Mountain Rescue and Avalanche Service, the avalanche was most likely caused by individuals skiing out of bounds, and avalanche warnings had been ignored.

Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragic incident, and their families and friends.