A Baildon man who lived to ski has died in an avalanche in the French Alps.

Mark Wilson, 29, who lived for two years in Keighley as a child, was skiing off-piste in the resort of Val d'Isere with two other men when they were swept away yesterday.

Mr Wilson, who was employed by the London-based tour operator VIP at the resort, was buried under several feet of snow.

A spokesman for the British Consulate in Lyons said today: "He was skiing off-piste with two other men who were employed by the company. The two others escaped but Mr Wilson was buried.''

The mountain rescue service was called out and his body was found about an hour later at 2pm yesterday.

Mr Wilson's father Martin today told how his son caught the travel bug as an 18-year-old at Salt Grammar School, Saltaire, when he won a place on the Yorkshire Schools Exploration Society trip to China.

Mark, who has just finished a degree in tourism and travel at Leeds Metropolitan University, had been in France since December.

"He was having a whale of a time. He loved travel and had been round the world," said Mr Wilson speaking from his Baildon home.

"He had spent time in China, America and for two years worked in Cyprus with a bungee jumping company. He had literally been away every year skiing - it was his life."

Mark worked as a legal executive for three years on leaving school but over the last eight or nine years had worked for a number of skiing companies. It was his first time with VIP.

Mr Wilson said the family, which included his two brothers Philip and Gary and mum Maureen, were making arrangement to have Mark's body returned home for a funeral.

The consulate spokesman added that a report was being prepared for the public prosecutor who would decide whether there should be an investigation.

The company was insured and there would be no problem repatriating Mark's body.

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