Two Britons Among Three Dead in Val d’Isere Avalanche
13th February 2026
Last modified on February 17th, 2026
It follows heavy snow and a ‘high’ risk of avalanche. Extreme caution is urged off piste as further deaths in Switzerland, Italy & Slovakia have occurred. UPDATED
The accident happened at 11.30 on Friday morning off piste in the Vallee du Manchet area of the French resort.
The area is located between the Solaise and Bellevarde massifs and it was on a west facing slope at an altitude of 2,200m.
The avalanche risk at the time was 4/5 (high).
A group of five people was caught, including a professional guide, and another skier was involved in the avalanche.
All the skiers were equipped with avalanche transceivers.
Ski patrollers responded quickly and extracted the first person in less than five minutes.
Two of the deceased victims were found swiftly and the third was found in a stream at the bottom of the avalanche.
A Frenchman died in the avalanche.
Update, 16/02/26:
The two British skiers who died in the avalanche in Val d’Isere have been named.
They were Stuart Leslie, 46, and Shaun Overy who was 51.
A third British person suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital.
It is reported that the solo skier was first caught in the avalanche and that it cascaded down the mountain and the group below was caught unaware.
The instructor leading the group has tested negative for alcohol and drugs.
Two medical teams were airlifted in with three rescue dog handlers.
Two doctors also responded to the scene, along with an emergency physician.
The avalanche was substantial, stretching 400m.
The emergency services have sent their condolences to the families and relatives of the victims.
A manslaughter investigation has now been launched by the Albertville public prosecutor’s office and will be carried out by CRS Alpes mountain rescue police.
PlanetSKI understands it was the second slide in the area on Friday morning, but in the first incident no-one was hurt.
“It is an area that is frequently skied but to go there in these conditions is foolhardy, given the orientation of the slope and the time of day,” said a PlanetSKI reader who is an experienced instructor in Val d’Isere.
The authorities are urging extreme caution after the heavy snow this week and the continued risk of avalanches.
They recommend that skiers stay within the marked and secured areas of the ski area.
Update, Saturday 14th February:
In Switzerland three skiers were caught in an avalanche while skiing near Airolo, according to the police in the canton of Ticino.
Two of them died, the third person was uninjured.
The victims were a 35-year-old Belgian man living in Belgium and a 30-year-old Belgian man residing in Germany.
According to Swiss authorities both were experienced ski tourers.
The avalanche struck shortly before 2 pm between Pizzo Centrale and Pizzo Prevat.
In the Slovakian High Tatras a mountaineer was buried by an avalanche.
According to the mountain rescue service, the 32-year-old Czech was rescued alive from the masses of snow.
However, he died during the helicopter flight to hospital.
At the weekend some ski areas in France had restrictions on which slopes were open:
There are further details of the latest snow in the updated PlanetSKI Snow Report
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