Stuart Leslie and Shaun Overy lost their lives after being swept down a valley in Val d'Isere
Share
Two Brits who died in an avalanche at a popular French ski resort have been pictured for the first time.
Off-piste skiers Stuart Leslie, 46, and Shaun Overy, 51, were part of a group of four being led by an instructor when struck by the avalanche in Val d'Islere on Friday.
The pair were swept away at the Alpine resort at around 11.30am.
Mr Leslie, a sales and marketing director for Barratt Redrow construction company, is said to have been an experienced skier.
Mr Overy, 51, ran a plumbing business in south-west London and was also understood to be a regular skier.
A French victim, believed to be a woman, was skiing alone when the avalanche hit.
The avalanche occurred less than 24 hours after the area was placed on a rare red avalanche alert, a level of warning issued only twice before in the 25 years since its introduction.
CRS Alpes mountain rescue police are conducting a manslaughter investigation into the incident.
Piste chief, Cedric Bonnevie, confirmed an investigation has been launched after the tragedy.
The maximum 5/5 danger warning, reserved for the most extreme and deadly mountain condition, has been declared at multiple resorts.
The public prosecutor in Albertville, Benoît Bachelet, stated that a third British citizen suffered minor injuries.
Mr Bachelet also said alcohol and drug tests carried out on the instructor were negative.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office told LBC: "We are aware of an accident in which two British men have died in France. We are in contact with the local authorities and stand ready to offer consular assistance."
It comes after Storm Nill ripped through parts of Europe on Thursday, which brought heavy snow and rainstorms to France.
❄️ #Montagne | Les fortes précipitations des dernières heures ont entraîné des cumuls de 60 cm à 1 mètre de neige dans les massifs savoyards. Le retour d’un temps plus clément ce vendredi matin pourrait inciter certains pratiquants à sortir en montagne.
⚠️ La vigilance orange… pic.twitter.com/x12I7rLNJg— Préfète de la Savoie 🇫🇷 (@Prefet73) February 13, 2026
On X, the account for the Savoie prefecture – the State services in Savoie – advised against "off-piste activities, ski touring and snowshoeing."
They also urged "mountain enthusiasts to strictly comply with the instructions given by professionals and the safety services of the slopes."
Among some of the resorts to have closed include the French resorts of La Gave, Peisey-Vallandry, La Plagne, and Les Arcs.
The tragedy comes almost a month after eight skiers were killed and several more seriously injured after three avalanches hit Austria within a few hours of each other.
Another Brit, believed to be in his 50s, was killed while skiing off-piste with a group at La Plagne in the French Alps last month, when an avalanche struck.
LBC has contacted Val d'Isere for comment.