A 46 year old fireman from Motril (Granada) died yesterday while out cross-country skiing with three friends in the Sierra Nevada.

The incident occurred at around 6.30pm when the victim, who is described as an expert skier and mountain climber, was caught in an avalanche in an off-piste area in the Dílar river valley near Mount Elorrieta (3,200m).

His body was found late yesterday evening buried under more than two metres of snow after one of the search party spotted one of his skis.

It seems that the victim was well known to the local mountain rescue team, who had saved him on two previous occasions.