A British mother and her son died after being hit by an avalanche while skiing in the Alps in France, a local prosecutor said Friday.
The woman, 54, and her 22-year-old child have not been named. They were skiing off-piste with other family members and a guide on Thursday when they were buried under the avalanche at around 3:30 p.m., according to the BBC.
Local media reports suggested that the two deceased hadnât worn devices used to help find avalanche survivors. The guideâwho had reportedly known the family for yearsâwas wearing an avalanche beacon and survived the incident.
Bonneville Prosecutor Karline Bouisset said in a statement that the U.K. nationals were eventually located âburied and deceasedâ after a team of 20 first responders and two helicopters spent five hours searching.
The deadly snowslide started near the Saint-Gervais resort at an altitude of around 7,500 feet, local authorities said, adding that it might have been triggered by other skiers higher up the slopes.
