Two British skiers, Stuart Leslie and Shaun Overy, have tragically lost their lives in an avalanche in the French Alps. The incident occurred while they were skiing off-piste in Val d’Isère, southeast France, with a group of five people and an instructor. A French national skiing alone was also killed, while another British skier miraculously survived. This devastating event took place despite a red alert for avalanche risk issued by France's national weather service on Thursday, just the third such warning in 25 years. Leslie, 46, was an avid skier and social media enthusiast, often sharing his adventures. His friend, Craig Hunter, paid an emotional tribute, describing him as a 'true legend' who lived life to the fullest. Overy, 51, ran a plumbing company in Wimbledon and was believed to be friends with Leslie. The avalanche investigation is ongoing, with the ski instructor, who was uninjured and drug-free, being questioned. This tragic incident follows another British skier's death in an avalanche at the nearby La Plagne resort in January. Additionally, thirteen backcountry skiers, climbers, and hikers lost their lives in the Italian mountains due to unstable snow conditions in early February. The risks of avalanches in the Alps have been a growing concern, as evidenced by a train derailment caused by a snow slide in Switzerland on Monday, with large areas of the western Alps still under high avalanche risk.
