A British skier has died after falling from a chairlift in the French Alps. The 65-year-old man suffered a heart attack and died on the slopes in the resort of Méribel.
Emergency services were called at 12.20pm to the Roc-de-Tougne lift. Six first responders intervened and were joined by two doctors. Resuscitation attempts lasted for more than half an hour, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police are investigating whether the man was in cardiac arrest before falling 32 feet from the chairlift. An investigation has been opened by the prosecutor in Albertville to determine the cause of death and sequence of events.
The man, whose name has not been released, was skiing with a female friend who was sitting beside him on the lift. She is being interviewed by police. Investigators will want to determine how the victim could have fallen from the chairlift, which has a horizontal metal safety rail.
The six-seater lift was constructed by the French company Pomagalski in 2017 and can transport 2,400 people per hour. Méribel is part of the Trois Vallées ski area and is popular with British tourists.
