French man caught in Hokkaido avalanche confirmed dead

SHIMUKAPPU, Japan - A French man caught in an avalanche near a ski area in Hokkaido and initially reported by friends as being unconscious has been confirmed dead, police said Friday.The 38-year-old man, identified as Sylvain Rene Nicolas Lethier, had been skiing with seven friends off piste in the Tomamu resort area in the village of Shimukappu when an avalanche hit the group around 3:25 p.m. Thursday, according to the police.One of the eight who managed to emerge from the avalanche descended Mt. Tomamu and made an emergency call, reporting that one of them was unconscious, they said.The o…READ FULL ARTICLE