British skier dies after falling ‘dozens of metres’ while off-piste in France

Rescue workers were said to be shocked by man’s injuries and have been given counselling

A British man has died after a high-speed accident while skiing off-piste in the French Alps.

The 50-year-old man, who has not yet been named, suffered severe injuries and a cardiac arrest following the incident in the alpine resort of Meribel.

He died after falling several dozen meters in the Saulire sector of the three valleys ski area in Meribel, where the Ski World Championships are taking place.

It was unclear if he was there to watch the games, which run in Meribel and Courchevel until 19 February.

Aerial panorama view of Meribel village, where man died (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A worker who said they witnessed the incident said the man “took off” into the air before landing and sliding down a steep slope covered in rocks.

Mountain rescuers and a helicopter were dispatched to deal with accident and arrived within 15 minutes but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The rescue workers were said to have been shocked at the extent of the man’s injuries and were receiving counselling.

Separately, a 21-year-old American died while skiing off-piste in the Brevant area of Chamonix after falling 200m.

A total of 12 people died in the French mountains during the 2021-22 ski season, according to the French National Mountain Safety Observation System.

More than 45,000 people were treated for injuries while emergency services attended around 50,000 incidents.

Last month a British woman was killed following an avalanche in the alps.

The woman, who was reported to be 45-years-old, was airlifted off Mont Blanc’s Argentiere Glacier by mountain rescuers but died of her injuries.

Colonel Bertrand Host, of the mountain rescue gendarmerie in Chamonix, said around 80 people die on the Mont Blanc massif each year.