In the early hours of New Year's Day, a devastating fire tore through a popular bar in a Swiss ski resort, leaving families in a state of agonising uncertainty as they search for missing loved ones.
A New Year's message of love
At three minutes past midnight on Thursday, 1st January, Laetitia Brodard-Sitre received a text that now feels like a precious relic from another life. It was from her 16-year-old son, Arthur. He was out celebrating with ten school friends at Le Constellation bar in the upmarket resort of Crans-Montana but had paused to send his mother a message.
The text read "Happy New Year Mom," accompanied by love heart and party streamer emojis. Laetitia, 42, replied instantly: "Happy New Year, my dear, I love you so much." Less than 48 hours later, that exchange has become the focal point of a mother's nightmare, as Arthur is among scores of young people missing following the horror inferno.
The unbearable wait in the snow
Now, Laetitia is in Crans-Montana, desperately searching for her son in the freezing cold. Speaking from a coffee shop near the gutted remains of the bar, the housewife bravely described her ordeal. She has been unable to sleep since the fire and is consumed by the need to be reunited with her boy.
"I've been looking for Arthur for more than 30 hours," she said, visibly distraught. "It’s an unbearable wait... I won't stop searching, I won't give up." Her hope is that by sharing Arthur's face, medics at any hospital where he might have been taken will recognise him and contact her.
A community united in grief
Laetitia's torment is not unique. The parents of many other missing youngsters are enduring the same heartbreaking vigil as Swiss police undertake the complex and sorrowful task of identifying the victims. Authorities are using methods including DNA testing, warning that it could take days to formally name all those who lost their lives.
This delay, while necessary for accurate identification, is causing immense and unavoidable stress for the families left in limbo. The white barrier now surrounding the charred shell of Le Constellation bar stands as a stark symbol of their sudden, collective loss.
As the investigation continues, the community and the world can only watch and hope for answers. For Laetitia and every other family clinging to hope in the Swiss Alps, the need for news—any news—is all-consuming.
