British skier in 20s falls 650ft to his death in French Alps after going in 'wrong direction'

A British skier fell to his death in the French Alps, mountain rescue authorities have said.

The man was in his 20s and fell 650ft off a cliff in Oz-en-Oizans, in Isere, east of Grenoble.

He had been skiing off-piste with two friends - one of whom was also injured - while the other escaped unharmed, in the Alpette region.

The skiers are thought to have got into trouble while at the Alpe d'Huez resort on Saturday morning.

Mountain rescue spokesman Francois Bepol said the trio went in the wrong direction before getting into difficulty and took off their skis to try and climb upwards.

The cliff was "very steep and icy", however, and two of the three men fell. The third man, who had not fallen, was not harmed. Bepol could not confirm their ages.

The Foreign Office said: "Following the death of a British national in the French Alps, we are providing consular support to the family.

"We remain in close contact with local authorities. Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time."

The tragic incident comes after a 13-year-old boy also died after falling from a cliff in the French Alps The teenager and his 10-year-old brother both fell from a 150m (429ft) cliff near Avoriaz ski resort around 160 miles from Alpe d'Huez, near the Swiss border.

The boys had been skiing on Saturday afternoon and the last lift they had taken was the Baron teleski.

They left the piste and entered the forest in the super-Morzine area at the junction of the Avoriaz and Morine domaines. They were discovered by rescuers at 4am on Sunday.

Their father reported the boys' disappearance at the end of the afternoon. They fell from a 150 metre cliff. An investigation has been opened.''