Skier killed in Alps avalanche

British skier Nigel Jackson has died after being caught in an avalanche in the French Alps
12 April 2012

A British skier who went missing in the Alps on Christmas Day has died after being caught in an avalanche, French police have said.

The body of Nigel Jackson, who was staying in the resort of Chamonix, was found by a rescue team on Boxing Day.

Police said Mr Jackson, 43, was discovered just off piste and had been caught in an avalanche.

Mr Jackson, who was originally from Liverpool but had moved to London, is believed to have gone skiing on Christmas Day with his girlfriend and two friends despite bad weather and very poor visibility. He was found the next day in a part of the resort which is known for its gentle ski runs and is accessible to skiers of all levels.

A police spokesman said: "We found the body of a British man on Saturday afternoon at Le Tour Col de Balme. It was clear he had been caught in an avalanche. A search was launched at around 5.30pm on Friday when one of his friends raised the alarm. At the time we searched with a helicopter but we couldn't see anything. The weather was very bad on Christmas Day. The next day we found an avalanche near Le Tour and the man was found close to the piste."

An investigation has now been launched to find out whether the snowfall could have been triggered by the skier.

Mr Jackson's parents have flown to France to meet police and to arrange for his body to be returned to Britain.

The death comes as a search continues for a young Briton who went missing in the Swiss ski resort of Wengen nearly a week ago. Myles Robinson, 23, from London, has not been seen since the early hours of Tuesday as he walked a family friend back to her hotel from the Blue Monkey bar.

The former Charterhouse public schoolboy was staying with his family at Hotel Eiger, only a few hundred yards away, but no trace has been found since.

His family and friends have joined villagers to knock on doors in Wengen in a bid for any news.

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