-
France set to pass emergency ‘budget law’: is it good or bad for your finances?
The country will effectively be without a budget from 2025, with knock-on effects for individuals and companies
-
EasyJet announces nine new flight routes from France including to UK
A service from Bordeaux to Birmingham is among the new announcements
-
French weekend weather outlook December 14 - 15: gloomy and chilly in the north
Cloudy skies are expected to dominate in the north, but in the south temperatures will still reach double figures
Three ski deaths in France including an American and a British tourist
The accidents all occurred in the Alps at the weekend and involved falls whilst skiing off-piste or snow touring
Three people, including an American and a British tourist, died in separate ski accidents in the Alps this weekend.
The American was the youngest, aged just 21.
All three were skiing away from resort ski slopes.
The 50-year-old Briton, who has not been named, was skiing at speed hors-piste close to the Saulire sector at Méribel and fell dozens of metres
Emergency services were immediately called but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Nearby patrollers who found the body and who had seen the fall were left in shock and are receiving psychological support, reports France Bleu.
An investigation into the precise cause of death has been opened and is expected to centre around the high speed of the skier immediately before the accident.
Two deaths at Chamonix
Reports to The Connexion from the Chamonix rescue service say that the American skier, who was also off-piste, fell around 200m down a corridor area at around 10:00 on Sunday morning.
He was skiing in the Brévent sector, underneath the Cornu chairlift. He was reported to have not been wearing a helmet.
Resort workers were unable to resuscitate the skier when they found him with the man suffering multiple injuries and under cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead when the mountain rescue team arrived.
A 59-year old Frenchman Olivier Chamel, operations manager of the Aiguille du Midi sector in Chamonix, also died after losing his balance and falling down a corridor area while ski touring.
He had worked with the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc for 40 years, according to the Chamonix website.
Mountain rescue services were reported to have been called eight times in Chamonix over the course of Sunday February 12, leading gendarmes to renew calls for caution on the slopes.
Related articles:
French ski workers call ‘unlimited’ strike just before half-term break
Ski holidays in France: why British tourists shun the train