Two British skiers who died in an avalanche at French Alps ski resort Val d'Isere named
Two British skiers who died in an avalanche at a French Alps ski resort have been named.
Stuart Leslie, aged 46, and Shaun Overy, age 51, were among three people killed in the snow slide at Val d'Isere, a village in southeastern France last week. The other victim was a French national.
Both Shaun and Stuart were reportedly friends and experienced skiers.
In a tribute posted on Facebook, Stuart’s friend Craig Hunter said he lived life to the "absolute maximum" and "squeezed everything out of every moment".
He wrote: “We have lost a true legend – our beautiful Stuart. He lived life to the absolute maximum — he packed ten men’s lives into one. He squeezed everything out of every moment. We shared endless laughs, unforgettable memories and our dreams that were coming reality. We ate like kings, danced like no one was watching, built businesses, shared Barcelona, the UK, France, Dubai.”
Stuart regularly posted on social media about his passion for off-piste skiing, which involves going down unmarked parts of a slope. His wife Anastasia is reported to have died in 2017. Craig added in his tribute: “I take comfort in believing he is with Anna [Anastasia] now – his one true love.”
The tragedy happened on Friday February 13. The day before, France's national weather forecaster, Meteo-France, had issued a red avalanche warning for the Savoie region, which borders Italy. It warned "very heavy snowfall" in the Alps had triggered "exceptional avalanche conditions", and advised "extreme caution" for all mountain activities. The risk level was scored four out of a possible five.
A spokesperson for the resort's slope management department said the Britons were in a group of five people and a professional instructor who did not see the danger as it approached. The French victim was higher up the mountain and skiing alone, Cedric Bonnevie said. An inquiry into the disaster was launched shortly afterwards.
The deaths of the Britons were confirmed by the Foreign Office. "We are in contact with the local authorities and stand ready to offer consular assistance," a statement added.
Another separate Brit was left injured after digging himself out of the huge pile of snow, according to reports.