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A British "seasonaire'' drowned in a French ski resort after she apparently became trapped under a swimming pool cover.
A British "seasonaire'' drowned in a French ski resort after she apparently became trapped under a swimming pool cover.
Lucy Sallis, 19, plunged into the water with a friend following a night out in Alpe d'Huez, local police said.
She then swam into a covered area of the heated pool but failed to resurface.
Friends found her body under the protective sheet at around 5am yesterday morning but attempts to revive her failed.
Officers believe she got into trouble because there was not enough oxygen between the water and the pool cover, meaning she would have been unable to breathe.
A police spokesman said: "She was with a friend and they decided to go swimming. They climbed over a big fence around the pool shortly before 5am.
"The pool is divided into two parts - a small basin and a bigger one which are joined together. The small one was not covered.
"They swam in the smaller area but then the girl wanted to swim in the other section.
"Because the pool cover touched the water, we think she drowned as there was no air between the cover and the water.''
A post-mortem examination is expected to reveal Miss Sallis's cause of death tomorrow.
The teenager, from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, had been working for Brighton-based holiday company Skibound at the Belle Aurore hotel.
She is believed to have jumped into the municipal pool with a 19-year-old man who was also working as a "seasonaire'' in the resort in the French Alps.
Tributes were paid on Twitter to Miss Sallis who was described as "the most perfect girl''.
One read: "If that doesn't show you how short life is I dunno what does.''
Another friend wrote: "Rest in peace beautiful Lucy Sallis. She was such a beautiful girl, praying for my best friend and her family right now! xxxxx.''
Another well-wisher tweeted: "Its horrible how fast a life can be taken away, your with the angels now, rip beautiful.''
A spokesman for the holiday company said: "The thoughts and condolences of all at Skibound are with the family and friends.
"All our efforts are focused on ensuring they are supported in any way possible through this very difficult time.
"The company's operations centre received notification from the resort manager in the early hours of the morning on January 30 that a female body was found in the municipal outdoor swimming pool.
"The rescue team from the French emergency services arrived at the scene and CPR was given, but unfortunately they were unable to resuscitate the body.
"Her next of kin has been informed.''
French police said the pool was always closed to swimmers at night.