BBC reports a 25 year old British snowboarder was found dead buried headfirst in a snowdrift just 66 feet off piste at Meribel ski resort in south-eastern France on Wednesday.
His body was discovered by two skiers who alerted authorities after seeing his snowboard sticking out of the snow. The man was a seasonal worker at the resort and had suffered cardiac arrest when he was found.
A spokesman with the Alps Mountain Rescue said the man could have been buried for up to half an hour: “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.
We want to remind our readers to always ski with a partner when venturing off piste and to be safety minded when on or off piste. Our thoughts and prayers are with the snowboarder’s family and friends.