Two British skiers who died in an avalanche in the French Alps have been named as Stuart Leslie and Shaun Overy. A French national who was skiing alone was also killed, while another British skier survived. Leslie, 46, who regularly posted on social media about his skiing adventures, is believed to have been friends with Overy, 51, who ran a plumbing company in Wimbledon. This incident follows the death of another British skier in his 50s in an avalanche at the nearby La Plagne resort in January. Thirteen backcountry skiers, climbers and hikers died in the Italian mountains in the first week of February amid unstable snow conditions.

Source: The Guardian February 16, 2026 23:22 UTC