Brit girl, 5, killed on mountain after high-speed skier ploughs into her

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A five-year-old British girl has been killed in a tragic accident on a ski slope in the French Alps.

The little girl was having a lesson on the piste when a skier devastatingly careered into her at high speed.

An emergency helicopter arrived at the ski resort of Flaine to whisk her to hospital but the girl was pronounced dead in the air.

Police have launched an investigation into the fatal incident and arrested a 40-year-old man from the area on suspicion of manslaughter.

The horrific accident happened yesterday morning at around 11am in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps, 50 miles from the Swiss city of Geneva.

The girl was on the Serpentine ski run which is classified as ‘blue’ meaning an easy slope.

She was in a group ski lesson run by the national ski school, Ecole du Ski Français (ESF), with four other children who were lined up behind the instructor near the edge of the piste.

The prosecutor overseeing the investigation said: "The child was in a single file behind the group and was about to make a right turn when she was very violently hit by the skier arriving at high speed who tried in vain to avoid her."

An investigation was opened for manslaughter due to the alleged "violation of an obligation of safety and prudence”.

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The little girl lived in Geneva with her ex-pat British family who have a holiday home in Les Carroz.

The skier, a volunteer firefighter, was said to be “in a state of significant shock” and administered first aid on the side of the piste. There was also a doctor present.

Despite attempts at resuscitation, the victim was pronounced dead at 1pm while being airlifted to hospital by helicopter.
An autopsy will take place on Monday to determine the cause of death.

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