Avalanche Kills U.S. Snowboarder

May 2 , 1999

French Avalanche Victim Search Ends CHAMONIX, France (AP) _ Rescue workers called off their search Monday for victims of an avalanche that killed an American snowboarder, saying it was unlikely more skiers were buried on the Mont Blanc glacier.

Police identified the snowboarder killed in Sunday's avalanche as Eric Holdridge of North Carolina. They did not provide his hometown or exact age but said he was about 30 years old.

Holdridge was swept away Sunday morning in an avalanche on the Rognons glacier. Rescue workers said he had been buried for more than an hour and died shortly after reaching Chamonix Hospital.Two French snowboarders who were with Holdridge were uninjured.

On Sunday, about 100 rescue workers spent hours searching for at least two other people seen by hikers at the time of the avalanche. But police said Monday they did not believe there were further victims since no one else had been reported missing.

Sunday's avalanche came less than three months after a Feb. 9 avalanche that killed 12 people and swept away 23 chalets in nearby Argentiere.