Bold headline: Two British skiers killed in the French Alps have been named.
Two British skiers who lost their lives in an avalanche in the French Alps have been identified as Stuart Leslie and Shaun Overy. They were part of a five-person group, guided by an instructor, ski touring off-piste in Val d’Isère, southeast France, on Friday when a fall of fresh snow swept them away. A French national who was skiing alone also died, and another British skier survived.
France’s national meteorological service had issued a red avalanche-risk alert on Thursday—the third time the warning has ever been issued in the 25 years since the system’s inception, according to Le Monde.
Leslie, 46, who frequently shared his skiing exploits on social media, is believed to have been friends with Overy, 51, who ran a plumbing company in Wimbledon. A friend, Craig Hunter, paid tribute on social media: “We have lost a true legend – our beautiful Stuart.” He added, “He lived life to the absolute maximum – he packed 10 men’s lives into one. He squeezed every moment dry of its potential. When we skied together, he was at his happiest. He always said there was no better feeling in life than skiing fresh powder, which felt like pure freedom.”
Benoît Bachelet, the Albertville prosecutor, stated that a manslaughter inquiry has been opened. The ski instructor involved, who was unharmed, returned a negative drug test.
This incident follows the death of another British skier in January—a man in his 50s who died in an avalanche at the nearby La Plagne resort in the French Alps.
In the first week of February, thirteen backcountry skiers, climbers, and hikers perished in the Italian mountains amid unstable snow conditions.
Meanwhile, a snow slide caused a train derailment in Switzerland on Monday, as broad areas of the western Alps continued to face high avalanche risk.
Thought-provoking note: This sequence of tragedies prompts a critical conversation about off-piste safety, risk awareness, and the adherence to avalanche forecasts. Are warnings perhaps not given enough weight by recreational backcountry enthusiasts, or do these events reflect the inherently unpredictable nature of alpine conditions? Share your views on how climbers and skiers should balance passion with precaution in the comments.
