A high mountain rescue police officer takes part in a search and rescue exercise for avalanche victims in the French Alps ski resort of Les Deux Alpes, south-eastern France on December 20, 2023. JEFF PACHOUD / AFP
Three separate avalanches killed three off-piste skiers in the French Alps on Sunday, resort officials said, a day after three skiers died in similar incidents, bringing the weekend toll to six. The deaths came despite alerts from the weather service of a high risk of avalanches and warnings against off-piste skiing.
In one incident Sunday, a British skier aged about 50 was buried while skiing off-piste, according to a statement released by La Plagne ski resort in southeastern France.
More than 50 rescuers were deployed, finding the man buried under 2.5 meters (eight feet) of snow after nearly an hour of searching, but he could not be resuscitated.
Rescue teams recovered the body of another skier who had been buried in an avalanche in Courchevel, the resort said, without providing further details.
