A British snowboarder has suffocated after falling into a snow-drift in the French Alps, authorities have confirmed. The 25-year-old man, who has not been named, was discovered buried head-first in an off-piste area near the Méribel ski resort on Wednesday.
Two skiers alerted emergency services after spotting a snowboard sticking out of the snow about 20 metres from the piste. French rescuers said the man, a seasonal worker at the resort, had suffered cardiac arrest when he was found.
An Alps Mountain Rescue spokesman said the man could have been buried for up to half an hour, adding: 'He was buried up to his pelvis and the snow was very heavy, very compacted.' French authorities are investigating the incident, and an inquest has been opened in Albertville.
The Foreign Office said it was providing support to the man's family. This incident follows the death of a British skier in an off-piste area of Alpe d'Huez in February, and the deaths of two British skiers in Chamonix last January.
