Where Is John Promell? British Skier Disappears During 'One Last Run Alone'

The fears of the family of a British skier, who went missing Sunday, grew after his friends said the 39-year-old told them he was going for “one last run alone” in severe weather in the French Alps. John Promell, from Lincolnshire, was last seen on the Paquis chairlift in the resort of Tignes at a time when the weather was “severe and getting worse.”

Promell's family and friends were unable to contact the skier, and the authorities also failed to track his phone. The entire Tignes ski area was shut down Monday due to high risk of avalanche caused by extreme winds and heavy snowfall. The search for Promell was also hindered as helicopters were grounded because of dangerous weather conditions. Ground patrols also struggled to move, reports said.

“The lost man had been skiing all of Sunday with his family and had set off for one last run alone. Everything is being done to try and find him,” a spokesman for Tignes gendarmerie said.

In an alert poster, Promell was described as 6-foot tall and last seen wearing a multicolored bobble hat and jacket. Pictures taken the weekend when Promell picked up his ski equipment and ski pass were included, as well as a note that said he "only speaks English."

The incident at Tignes follows the death of a young British man in similar conditions after he went missing from the French Alpine resort of Risoul last Tuesday.

Owen Lewis, 22, froze to death after losing his way to his holiday apartment.

“He was seen in the early hours on Tuesday, and had been in the bar by himself while waiting for friends to join him in Risoul the next day,” a source involved with the investigation, told U.K.'s the Sun. “The victim’s body was found by a mountain stream, and footprints pointed to him getting lost, and then freezing in the snow.”

Lewis' case was similar to that Promell's as the former's family members and friends were also unable to contact him by phone.