Two British skiers are among three men who lost their lives after a powerful avalanche swept through an off-piste area of Val d’Isère on the morning of Friday, February 13, as severe avalanche warnings remained in place across the Northern Alps.
The slide struck shortly before 11:30 in the Savoie resort, triggering a large-scale rescue operation involving mountain police (CRS Alpes), ski patrol teams and emergency services. Search efforts were suspended early in the afternoon after all three victims were located. Recovery operations continued later in the day.
According to local officials, the two British victims were part of a group of four skiers travelling with a professional instructor. Resort authorities confirmed that all members of the group were equipped with standard avalanche safety gear, including transceivers, shovels and probes. Tests carried out on the instructor for alcohol and drugs were reported to be negative.
A third victim, a French national, was skiing independently higher up the slope and was also equipped with avalanche safety equipment. One additional person sustained minor injuries.
Rescue officials said the skiers were caught in a series of cascading snow slides. Resort director Cédric Bonnevie explained that the guided group had already reached the lower section of the slope when the avalanche descended. The third skier was positioned further up the mountain at the time. Authorities have not yet determined whether the avalanche was triggered naturally or by human activity.
The Albertville public prosecutor’s office has opened a manslaughter investigation, which has been assigned to the CRS Alpes. A witness filmed the avalanche and provided footage to emergency responders to help pinpoint the location of those buried beneath the snow.
At the time of the incident, avalanche risk across the Vanoise massif was rated “high” (4 out of 5) by Météo-France, with Savoie having been placed under a red avalanche alert the previous day following heavy snowfall and strong winds.
Resort officials have reiterated warnings urging skiers to remain within marked and secured areas during periods of elevated risk. Mountain safety experts stressed that even experienced skiers equipped with safety gear can be overwhelmed by unstable snow conditions, particularly after significant fresh snowfall combined with wind, which can create dangerous wind slabs prone to collapse.