Industry News
A British snowboarder has suffocated after falling into a snow-drift in the French Alps, authorities there say, reports the BBC.
The 25-year-old man, who has not been named, was discovered buried head-first in an off-piste area near the Meribel ski resort in France on Wednesday.
He was uncovered after two skiers alerted emergency services to a snowboard sticking out of the snow about 20 metres (66ft) from the piste.
French rescuers said the man, who was a seasonal worker at the resort in south-eastern France, had suffered cardiac arrest when he was found.
An Alps Mountain Rescue spokesman said the man could have been buried for up to half an hour, adding: “He was buried up to his pelvis and the snow was very heavy, very compacted.”
French authorities are investigating the incident and an inquest has been opened in the nearby town of Albertville.
Foreign Office staff are in contact with police in the UK and France, as well as a tour operator, about the incident, a spokesman said.
