A father tumbled to his death as he frantically searched for his son who had fallen 300 metres while they were hiking in the French Alps, police believe.
The bodies of Peter Saunders (48) and son Charlie (12) were found by rescue services near Mont Blanc on Sunday morning.
Mr Saunders had called for help at about 2pm local time on Saturday after Charlie fell down a cliff on a mountain trail in the Chamonix valley.
Police said the pair, reportedly from Buckinghamshire, had set off without snowshoes to explore a “dangerous, deep, snowy” mountain trail between Bossons and Les Houches when they died. Charlie fell from around 300 metres, while his father fell 200 metres, reports said.
Captain Patrice Ribes, a French police officer, said emergency services had unsuccessfully tried to trace Mr Saunders’ mobile phone call and launched a helicopter rescue.
“We think the father tried to find his son after he called us and asked for rescue. We believe he fell as he tried to find his son. Their bodies were found together this morning at 7.40am,” he said yesterday.
Capt Ribes said the pair were wearing walking shoes suitable for the summer, which were wrong for the conditions, The Times reported.
“You need shoes with spikes at this time of year,” he said. “In normal shoes, it is difficult to stop once you start slipping. That slope is like a giant slide.”
Emergency services in Annecy said they received a frantic call from Mr Saunders saying his son had fallen and he could not see him, the Daily Telegraph said.
“The man spoke in English and said he was in Les Bossons in the commune of Les Houches and that his son had fallen,” spokesman Francis Bianchi said.
“The call was immediately transferred to the mountain police in Chamonix. They could hear him and he was panicked.
“He did not reply to their questions. And then it cut off. They kept trying to call him back but it went straight through to the answer phone.”
The area where the tragedy happened has a number of footpaths which weave in and out of the mountainside.
In a statement issued by the Foreign Office, their family said: “Peter and Charlie Saunders were involved in a tragic accident whilst walking in the French Alps. They had flown to the French Alps for a short weekend of adventure in the Chamonix valley.
“They were to have a half day walking followed by a full day skiing. Their bodies were recovered by the local mountain rescue this morning.
“Charlie was always full of life, had a really happy temperament and loved spending time with his father.
“Peter was fantastic at making things happen, resourceful, with a positive approach to life.
“They will both be sorely missed by friends and family alike.
“We would be grateful to the media for respecting the privacy of the family and friends that Peter and Charlie leave behind at this difficult time.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the French rescue services for all their efforts.”
The Chamonix valley, which boasts five ski resorts, receives a lot of British tourists throughout the year, with many owning holiday homes in the area.
Mont Blanc, the highest peak in western Europe at 15,780 feet, is notoriously dangerous and features some of the most technically difficult climbs in the world.
No fewer than 10 off-piste skiers and mountaineers had already been killed in the area this month, according to reports.