Cambridge skier found brother dead after Alps plunge

Oscar Cassagneau-Francis and Rajen Mahendra, were skiing off-piste in the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc region

A man found his brother's body in a frozen gully after he plunged to his death in a skiing accident in the Alps.

Oscar Cassagneau-Francis was skiing off-piste in the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc region when he and friend Rajen Mahendra fell several hundred metres.

Mr Cassagneau-Francis was found by his brother Oliver, and Mr Mahendra was found by rescue teams 50m away, an inquest heard.

A coroner said both men from Cambridge died as the result of an accident.

'Lost a ski'

The 26-year-old childhood friends from Cambridge had been in the French resort for less than 24 hours when the accident happened on 28 January, 2018.

Problems started when Oscar "lost a ski". He tried to keep going but fell twice, the second time into a steep, rocky gully.

Oliver told Mr Mahendra he would try and get to Oscar but when he found his brother he could no longer see Mr Mahendra.

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Rescue teams later found Mr Mahendra's body on the edge of a frozen waterfall within the same gully.

French authorities believe he also fell due to worsening conditions on the slope.

Assistant coroner Nicholas Moss said it was clear all three men had a "love of skiing" and that "conditions became difficult" on the mountain.

He praised Oliver for his actions on the slopes and concluded both men died in a "tragic accident".