Charlie Saunders

The father and son who were killed in a trekking accident in the French Alps have been named.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said Peter Saunders and his 12-year-old son Charlie had gone to the Chamonix area for a weekend of outdoor activities.

Charlie is believed to have fallen 300m (1,000ft) to his death from the Couloir des Bossons route on the Mont Blanc massif.

Mr Saunders, 48, of Buckinghamshire, made an emergency call to the Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne, the French mountain rescue police, to say his son had fallen, but the Annecy-based control centre lost contact with him.

Rescuers believe he fell to his death while searching for his son.

The PGHM contacted Mr Saunders’s wife in the UK who supplied pictures of his location from his mobile phone which he had sent to her earlier. This helped the rescuers find the two bodies at about 7.40am on Sunday, 17 hours after the emergency call.

The pair’s family said: “Peter and Charlie Saunders were involved in a tragic accident whilst walking in the French Alps.

Peter Saunders

“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.

“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 like to take this opportunity to thank the French rescue services for all their efforts.”