British tourists killed in France avalanche pictured for first time as tributes pour in

Shaun Overy died on Friday (Image: LINKEDIN)

The two British nationals who lost their lives in an avalanche last week have been pictured for the first time. Stuart Leslie, 46, and Shaun Overy, 51, were holidaying in the ski resort of Val d'Isere, France, when tragedy struck on Friday, February 13. 

The pair were part of a group of four skiing off-piste under the supervision of an instructor when they were swept away by an avalanche. Rescue services found the bodies of the two UK nationals in a stream 400 metres down the Manchet valley. Another skier, a French national, who was skiing solo above the group also lost their life. 

In a tribute shared on social media, his friend Craig Hunter said: “We have lost a true legend – our beautiful Stuart.”

He also said: “He lived life to the absolute maximum — he packed 10 men’s lives into one. He squeezed everything out of every moment. We shared endless laughs, unforgettable memories and our dreams that were coming reality. 

Stuart Leslie is believed to have been an experienced off-piste skier (Image: FACEBOOK)

“We ate like kings, danced like no one was watching, built businesses, shared Barcelona, the UK, France, Dubai.” 

A manslaughter investigation, led by the CRS Alpes mountain rescue police, has been launched, in accordance with routine procedure whenever a fatal skiing accident occurs.