Lorraine Dixon died in an avalanche in the French Alps

Lorraine Dixon, 35, of Egremont, was off-piste at the resort of Les Arcs in the southern Alps.

Her brother William was just 10 feet away and tried to warn his sister about the danger but had to watch as she was thrown 150 metres down a mountain.

Parents Terence, 59, and Eileen, 60, said they were devastated by their daughter's death.

Miss Dixon, who worked as a pollution officer for the Environment Agency in Penrith, had been in the popular resort with her partner Paul Fairburn, 38, who she worked with, as well as her brother.

She was an experienced snowboarder but was not wearing a safety beacon which can help rescuers locate people trapped under snow.

Incredibly her brother missed the avalanche by a few feet and was uninjured. He and fellow skiers looked on as Miss Dixon was carried down Les Arcs mountain.

Her body was found 45 minutes later by a rescue dog.

Her father Terence, a dairy farmer of Brackenthwaite Wilton, Egremont, said he heard the terrible news in a phone call from his son William.

'Lovely person'

He said: "I was at Cheltenham Races when I heard. My son had wanted to wait until getting home to tell me but he didn't want me to see it on the news.

"He said he heard a rumble and shouted a warning to Lorraine but it was too late and she was engulfed in snow. My son had a lucky escape, I could have lost both of them.

"She wasn't wearing the safety device and I don't know whether it would have saved her or not, or whether they could have got to her quicker.

"We are devastated by what has happened. She was a lovely, outgoing person with a zest for life who was passionate about the environment.

"She loved snowboarding, walking and mountain bike riding. She will be deeply missed."

Deep snows

A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said colleagues had been saddened by the tragedy.

She said: "Lorraine was a valued member of the team and will be very much missed. All our sympathies are with her family at this time. "

Miss Dixon leaves another brother Thomas, 28. Her partner and brother have already flown back to the UK, and her body is expected back early next week.

There have been more than 90 small avalanches recently, mainly around the southern Alpine resorts, most triggered by snowboarders and skiers.

Her death brings the number of skiers and snowboarders killed in the French Alps to more than 40 so far this season. Last year the figure was 25.

French authorities have issued warnings to snowboarders and skiers not to go off-piste in deep snows and high winds.