UK snowboarder killed in snowdrift 'may have been buried for 30 minutes'

He was found in an off-piste area of the Allues area of the mountain

Two witnesses had called for help before trying to reach the young man themselves (AFP/Getty Images)

A British snowboarder who died after plunging head-first into a snow drift in the Alps could have been buried for 30 minutes before being discovered, French authorities have said.

The 25-year-old man, who has not been named, was had gone off-piste on his own in the Allues area when he fell during a blizzard.

He was spotted by two people who were skiing nearby who noticed a board sticking out of the snow.

They called for help when it seemed as though the man was unable to detach himself from his bindings.

They then tried to reach the young man themselves but were unable to lift him to safety.

Mountain rescue services arrived within minutes but by the time they reached the scene he was already in cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead.

A spokesman for the Alps mountain rescue said it was difficult to say how long he may have been stuck, but estimated it could have been as long as half an hour.

He told the Press Association: "The snowboarder... was spotted by two witnesses skiing nearby who noticed a snowboard sticking out of the snow about 20m from the piste.

"They then realised that someone might be attached to the board.

"It was very difficult for them. He was buried up to his pelvis and the snow was very heavy, very compacted."

The incident is still being investigated and an inquest has been opened.

The Foreign Office said it was giving support to the man's family and was in contact with all the relevant authorities.

In January this year, Britons Oscar Cassagneau-Francis and Rajen Mahendra, both 26, were killed after falling hundreds of meters in an off-piste area while skiing in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.

In February, another British skier was killed when he and two friends ran into difficulty after venturing off-piste in the Alpe d'Huez ski resort region of the central French western Alps.

Agencies contributed to this report