A British man has died after hitting a boulder in a skiing accident in the French Alps.
Skiers at Les Deux Alpes can take lifts to above 11,000 feet
John Atkinson, 63, was on holiday with his wife and their two grown children when he smashed into the large rock, near the resort of Les Deux Alpes.
The accident occurred on Thursday after he inadvertently skied off a blue piste - graded for intermediate skiers - at about 3pm.
A police spokeswoman for the resort said the family were in "shock" and too upset to talk about what happened.
Mr Atkinson's children, both in the 20s, were reportedly skiing ahead of their father and did not witness his death.
He apparently veered some 80 feet off La Fée piste before hitting the boulder.
"It was snowing and the visibility was not good," the spokeswoman said.
A passing French doctor attempted to resuscitate Mr Atkinson however he had suffered severe injury as a result of the collision.
Helmets are not compulsory in France and Mr Atkinson was not wearing one at the time.
Mr Atkinson was declared dead at the scene.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the death of a British national at the Deux Alpes yesterday and we are attempting to contact the next of kin to offer consular assistance."
Les Deux Alpes is the second oldest ski resort in France and is renowned for high and fragmented slopes.
Mr Atkinson is believed to have lived in the village of Tollard Royal, south-west of Salisbury in Wiltshire.
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