Oxford student dies on university ski trip
An Oxford University student has died during a ski trip to the French high-altitude resort of Val Thorens.
Matt Smith, aged 22, who was a qualified snowboard instructor, was found unconscious in his chalet room on the first night of the trip.
His friends called the emergency services when they were unable to bring him round on Sunday morning, but police and fire fighters were unable to save him and he was pronounced dead at the scene, said the Evening Standard.
It is believed Mr Smith had suffered a cardiac arrest.
The third year St John’s College history student had attended the university ski trip last year and it is understood he had been skiing since an early age.
A post-mortem is set to take place later this week while police continue to investigate at the scene.
More than 3000 Oxford and Cambridge students are in Val Thorens this week. According to local police, they arrived on Saturday night and had gone straight out drinking.
Last year a security official at the resort said that students were ‘risking their lives’ by taking part in drunken challenges, such as the so-called Valley Rally, in which societies competed against each other to be crowned the ‘kings of the mountain’.
A spokesman for St John’s College told The Times: "We would like to express our deep sadness at the tragic death and send our condolences to his family and friends.
"While we await the findings of the official investigation we are offering support to students who may have been affected."
A spokesman for NUCO Travel, the tour operator that organized the trip, said: "Sadly one of our passengers passed away on Sunday 4th December 2016. At this time, to respect their family’s and friends’ privacy, we will not be commenting further."
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was supporting Mr Smith’s family and that it was in contact with the local authorities.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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