World champion snowboarder Estelle Balet killed in Swiss avalanche
A world champion snowboarder was killed in an avalanche Tuesday morning while filming a movie in the Swiss Alps.
Rescuers quickly uncovered Estelle Balet, but attempts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful and she died on the scene in the mountains above Orsieres, a municipality near the French and Italian borders, state police said.
“According to preliminary results, the slope was covered by a first person and then when Estelle Balet [went] down the corridor with her snowboard, a snow slide was triggered and carried her off,” authorities said.
The 21-year-old was wearing a helmet, an avalanche transceiver and an air bag.
“This is very sad news,” Olympic snowboarder Jamie Nicholls said on Twitter. “Be careful out there people.”
Balet recently won her second world title on the Freeride World Tour.
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