British skier, 55, killed in 'very large' avalanche at ski resort in French Alps

29 January 2025, 09:29 | Updated: 29 January 2025, 10:05

A British man has died after being swept away by an avalanche in an off-piste sector in the Chamonix valley, at the foot of Mont Blanc.

A British skier has been killed in a 'very large' avalanche at a ski resort in the French Alps.

The unnamed 55-year-old man died after being swept away in an off-piste area of the Chamonix Valley at the base of Mont Blanc on Tuesday afternoon.

The man's body was found at 4.35 pm by members of the ski patrol in Les Grand Montets as they prepared to close the area known for its challenging runs.

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The patrol noticed something was wrong after they saw an avalanche stretching around two-thirds of a mile down the slope, according to local reports.

They then discovered the body underneath because the victim's elbow was sticking out of the snow.

Medics rushed to the scene by helicopter but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Rescuers then spent two hours searching the snow for any other potential victims.

The Haute-Savoie prefecture said in a statement: "A very large avalanche occurred in the Grands Montets ski area, in the Herse sector.

“Due to very unfavourable weather conditions and the significant risk of a second avalanche, the rescue operation was halted late in the evening. The checks carried out confirm a provisional assessment of one victim."

In a statement, French mountain police identified the victim as 'a 55-year-old man of English origin.'

They said: "The victim was a 55-year-old man of English origin. The reasons for the triggering of this kilometre-long and 400-metre-wide flow are currently unknown and an investigation is underway."

The man had been attempting his 11th descent from the Herse chairlift, according to local reports.

The conditions were challenging on Tuesday, with the avalanche risk rated on the European Avalanche Danger Scale as four out of five, meaning "high".

Strong winds had led to the closure of the mountain's highest lift, the Bochard gondola.

Local authorities urged skiers to "imperatively respect the precautionary instructions given by the resorts and public services."

The tragedy comes only a few weeks after a British woman died on a French mountain slope after colliding with another tourist, a 35-year-old tourist from the UK.

According to reports, the 62-year-old was involved in a "violent collision" with another British national at a black slope of the Aiguille Rouge mountain.

The woman reportedly lost control of her skis and died after experiencing traumatic shock, according to French news outlet Le Dauphine. The other tourist suffered a broken leg and was rushed to a local hospital in the region, reports said.

Investigations into the circumstances that led to the collision are ongoing as authorities try to determine what exactly happened.