A distraught Prince of Wales took part yesterday in a desperate attempt to rescue one of his close friends, who was killed after being buried by an avalanche which swept down a mountain in the Swiss resort of Klosters where the royal party was skiing.
Prince Charles, who was not hurt in the incident, joined other members of the party in a frantic bid to dig out Major Hugh Lindsay, who was caught in the cascade of tons of freshly fallen snow which shot down Gotschnagrat Mountain in the fashionable ski resort.
A second member of the party, who was also trapped in the avalanche , Mrs Charles Palmer-Tomkinson, sustained leg injuries.
Major Lindsay, a former equerry to the Queen, was found to be dead on arrival at Davos hospital, to where he and Mrs Palmer-Tomkinson were helicoptered by the Red Cross after the accident.
The incident occurred at 2.45 pm yesterday when the Prince of Wales, Major Lindsay, Mr and Mrs Palmer-Tomkinson, a Swiss guide and a Swiss police officer were in a stationary position off-piste near the Wang run.
According to Buckingham Palace, the avalanche started above them and all of the royal party were able to take avoiding action except the two victims, who were caught in the sudden slide of snow which had been building up on the mountain yesterday during a fresh and heavy fall.
Eye-witnesses said that Prince Charles, who was lifted off the slope by a second helicopter, was visibly distressed. The second helicopter pilot was quoted by locally based reporters as saying the Prince was weeping.
Neither the Princess of Wales nor the Duchess of York, who are also on the skiing holiday, were on the mountain when the avalanche occurred. They were both in the royal party's chalet in Davos.
The slopes on Gotschnagrat Mountain are amongst the steepest in Switzerland and are rarely open to the general public. They are regarded as suitable only for experienced skiers like Prince Charles.
Before yesterday's tragedy there had been a heavy snowfall on the mountain, although it was not thought last night that the sudden change in weather conditions had led the Klosters authorities to issue an avalanche warning.
Major Lindsay was 34. His wife, Sarah, who is expecting a baby, works in the press office at Buckingham Palace.
A career army officer, he returned to his full-time army duties in 1986 after his spell in service to the Queen as an equerry.
Mrs Lindsay was being comforted by friends in London last night.
At her family's home in Godalming, Surrey, the housekeeper said: 'Sarah's baby is due in May and this must be a terrible shock for her. They were only married two years ago.'
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were informed about the incident yesterday afternoon during an official engagement in south London. Last night Buckingham Palace said they did not know whether the royal party in Klosters would cut short their visit, due to last until March 20, but it was expected they would return home within the next 48 hours.
Avalanches can be set off without warning by temperature increases, new falls of snow, or skiers and climbers. Powder snow avalanches follow falls of fine snow and can reach speeds of 120 mph. They often contain as much air as snow and their greatest threat is death by suffocation.
The Swiss government has a federal avalanche institute at Davos, which warns when strong winds and snowfalls increase the avalanche risk. On Sunday, skiing conditions in the Davos area were reported to be 'superb.'
Prince Charles, who has been skiing since 1963, had an accident near the Wang run in 1979 when he lost control on the slopes and landed heavily although without injury on his left hip.
Since 1980 he and all members of the Royal Family have worn electric bleepers in case they are buried in snow drifts. Since their marriage he and Princess Diana have been skiing at least once a year.