Two British Skiers Die in French Alps
Shaun Overy and Stuart Leslie were named as victims in a fatal off-piste skiing accident in Val d'Isère, France. The two were part of a group of five who encountered trouble while skiing outside marked trails. The incident adds to mounting concerns about alpine safety as winter sports enthusiasts venture into backcountry terrain.
- The avalanche occurred in the Manchet valley on Friday, February 13, after a period of heavy snowfall and strong winds. The two men were swept to the bottom of the slope and into a stream. - A third person, a French national who was skiing alone higher up the slope, was also killed in the avalanche. Another British skier in the guided group survived the incident. - The day before the accident, France's national weather service had issued a red alert for avalanche risk, the highest level. At the time of the avalanche, the risk was still rated as high, at four out of five. - An official manslaughter investigation has been launched by the Albertville prosecutor to determine the circumstances of the accident. The ski instructor who was leading the group was unharmed and tested negative for drugs. - The group was skiing in the Solaise sector when the avalanche struck at around 11:30 a.m. on a west-facing slope at an altitude of about 2,200 meters. The avalanche was substantial, running for about 400 meters. - All members of the guided group were reported to be carrying avalanche safety equipment, including transceivers. One of the skiers was located after a complex search because his transceiver was not working. - The incident was part of a deadly period in the Alps, with at least 25 avalanche-related deaths reported in France this season, a number higher than the average for the past decade. In the first week of February alone, 13 people died in the Italian mountains.
