Isle of Wight student 'died of hypothermia after French ski-trip pub crawl'

A British college student died of hypothermia after an après-ski pub crawl in France, an inquest has heard.

Kieron Flux went missing after a night out in the Val d'Isère resort. A search helicopter found his body in the Gorges de la Daille on 7 January.

The 18-year-old, from Newport, was a student at Isle of Wight College.

Island coroner Caroline Sumeray recorded a verdict of death by misadventure and said intoxication had contributed to his death.

Ms Sumeray said the French authorities had carried out an autopsy but had not sent the findings.

She also told Mr Flux's mother, Diane Haines, some of his organs had been retained by the French authorities without explanation, and said she would ask the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to investigate.

Mrs Haines said she had not been previously informed and added: "So I buried him with most of his organs missing."

Mr Flux went on the holiday with his father, Wayne Flux, and nine others.

On the second night he and his friend Joseph Craig went into the town centre and initially joined a pub crawl organised by the tour company reps, the inquest heard.

After visiting four bars, Mr Craig became separated from Mr Flux and ended up going back to the group's chalet alone.

Mr Flux had drunk about six bottles of beer before going out.

Ms Sumeray said he got on a shuttle bus but got off at the wrong end of town.

"He was disorientated and wasn't dressed warmly and subsequently got lost in the snow and developed hypothermia and died," she said.

"Had he not been intoxicated with alcohol, I do not think he would have ended up getting lost and dying."

On identifying his son's body, Wayne Flux described him as "frozen solid", the inquest heard.