Pictured: Family that froze to death in Alps skiing tour tragedy as search continues for sixth victim

The hunt continues for Emilie Deschenaux, 28, whose bag and skis were found next to the bodies

A family who “lost their bearings” and froze to death during an icy storm on an Alps ski tour have been named.

The cross-country skiers, five of them members of the same family from Valais canton, went missing near the 3,710 metre-high Tête Blanche mountain on Saturday on the Zermatt-Arolla path.

Brothers Jean-Vincent Moix, 30, David Moix, 27, and Laurent Moix, 21 were found dead on the mountain alongside their cousin Marc Moix, 44, and uncle Joel Moix, 58.

An investigation is ongoing into the deaths of Marc Moix and his family (DECES.CH)

A search is still ongoing for David’s girlfriend, Emilie Deschenaux, 28, whose bag and skis were found next to the bodies.

The parents of Jean-Vincent, David and Laurent said their beloved sons “fell asleep together” while doing something they were passionate about.

They added: “Emilie, David’s love, is still on the mountain” as her family asked for prayers on social media.

Brothers Jean-Vincent, David and Laurent Moix all perished in the Alps (DECES.CH)

Air Zermatt chief Anjan Truffer, the lead rescuer, said his team previously saved people who had been missing for days, giving workers a glimmer of hope that Emilie may still be alive.

“We have already found missing people several days later, miracles always happen,” he said.

“The area is full of crevices - [she] may have fallen near the other members of the group. But this is just speculation,” Truffer said.

Police Captain Marc Moix’s death notice by his family reads: “After a last hike in the mountains to share his light, he has become our new star, which will now be our guide.”

The Tete Blanche mountain snow field where five bodies were found (EPA)

His loved ones also thanked people for risking their lives to search the mountain in treacherous conditions.

They added: “Through their professionalism, their availability, their listening, their empathy, they brought everyone a little light and comfort in these difficult moments of waiting.”

Colleagues of Jean-Vincent paid tribute to him including the mayor of Vex - a small village in the Swiss canton of Valais where the deceased had only recently been elected as a councillor.

The former University of Westminster student was a keen mountaineer and had decided to switch careers from being a private banker.

Mayor Sebastien Menoud said: “It is such a huge tragedy to lose a colleague on the local council. Our thoughts are with him, his family and those around him and we express our deepest condolences to them. One knows that it is an immeasurable pain that his family is now confronted with.”

Mountain guide Anjan Truffer told Swiss broadcaster SRF that two of the bodies had to be dug out from beneath the snow.

“The end result was clear, the people froze to death. They got caught in a storm, probably lost their bearings and didn’t know what to do.”

He said that rescuers advised them to dig a snow cave after one of them sounded the alarm.

He added: “You could see that they tried, but unfortunately they were very poorly equipped and with those little shovels in the hard snow, there wasn’t much they could do.”

Local police also said two other bodies, separate from the family, were found after people went missing in the same storm.

On Friday evening, a 62-year-old Swiss woman was reported missing following a walk in the Bois de Finges region.

After an intensive search, she was found lifeless on Saturday.

A 47-year-old Swiss man was reported missing in the town of Saint-Léonard. The man, who had not returned home after a bike ride, was found dead on Saturday, near the “Bisse du Sillonin”.