King Charles has revealed details of his near-fatal avalanche experience in 1988, telling a mountain rescue team, "It was a close thing." The King made the remarks during a recent meeting with the Assynt Mountain Rescue Team at the Castle of Mey in Scotland.
King Recalls 1988 Avalanche
In March 1988, the then Prince Charles was skiing in Klosters, Switzerland, with Diana, Princess of Wales, Sarah Ferguson, and several close friends. On March 10, an avalanche struck the group while they were skiing off-piste, tragically killing Major Hugh Lindsay and injuring others.
The King spoke about the incident in the context of the dangers mountains pose, according to team leader Ben Dyson, who told The Times: "He said 'it was a close thing'. Obviously, after all these years, it is still much in his memory, but it has given him an insight into the valuable work we do and the dangers we face." Dyson added that Charles was "very appreciative" of the mountain rescue teams' work.
Details of the Tragic Day
On the day of the accident, Charles and his group tackled a challenging route on Gotschnagrat Mountain while Diana and Sarah stayed at the lodge. The group included a mountain guide, Major Hugh Lindsay, Patti Palmer-Tomkinson, and a Swiss police officer. The slope they attempted is among the steepest in Switzerland and is rarely open to the public, suitable only for experienced skiers.
While the group was stationary off-piste, an avalanche started above them. Major Lindsay and Palmer-Tomkinson were caught in the snow slide. Palmer-Tomkinson suffered severe leg injuries, but Lindsay was fatally thrown 400 meters down the mountainside and buried. Charles and others were uninjured and rushed to dig out their friends with their bare hands.
Aftermath and Grief
Lindsay and Palmer-Tomkinson were airlifted to a hospital in Davos, where Lindsay was pronounced dead on arrival. He was 34 and expecting a baby with his wife, Sarah, who worked in the Buckingham Palace press office. Charles was devastated, with an eyewitness telling the BBC: "He looked very distressed, somebody said he was crying, but he did walk to the helicopter so he looked uninjured."
The group returned to RAF Northolt, and Lindsay's coffin was carried off the plane by army colleagues. Andrew Morton's book 'Diana: Her True Story' recounts Diana's reaction, describing how she and Sarah Ferguson waited anxiously, and how Diana insisted they return to Britain with Hugh's body, despite Charles's initial reluctance.
