A snowboarder from Sussex killed in an avalanche in the French Alps died doing what he loved most, his sister said today.

James Rourke, 26, of West Way, Wick, Littlehampton, died and his friend Sam Harber, 25, from Suffolk, is feared dead after they were caught up in a torrent of ice, snow and rock on Grande Motte, Tignes.

The pair, who were experienced snowboarders, were caught in a huge "slab avalanche" while off piste on the glacier in the French resort.

Both men had scaled the peak just weeks earlier to raise thousands of pounds for the tsunami disaster victims in south-east Asia.

They were working for chalet tour operator Snowline VIP in the ski resort of Val d'Isere.

The avalanche, caused by a deadly combination of high winds and new snow, broke on Thursday 300ft above the pair at a height of about 10,500ft.

They were carried down the glacier to about 2,600ft.

Mountain rescuers had said there was "no hope" for the pair.

Mr Rourke's sister Christie, 22, today paid tribute to her adventure loving brother.

Miss Rourke, who is studying sports therapy at Chichester College, said: "He was amazing to me. I just wished I could have seen him more often.

"He was a free spirit and he died doing what he wanted to do. "He was never happier than when he was out snowboarding. He knew the risk and the danger involved but that was the way he lived life.

"The last time I caught up with him was when we were both in New Zealand last year.

"When he was not snowboarding he was climbing mountains or surfing in Newquay, Cornwall."

Mr Rourke kept regularly in touch with his parents and his last card arrived at their house in Wick just days before his death.

It said: "Had some snow of late so have got some powder. Still no idea what I am going to do in the summer. Too much to do and not enough time."

His body was recovered by rescue services on Friday but the search for Mr Harber was called off because of deteriorating conditions and the danger from further rockfalls. A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed Mr Harber was still missing.

Although he regarded Wick as his home base, Mr Rourke was hardly ever there, travelling the world to pursue his love of extreme sports.

His mother Anne, 48, is partially disabled and is looked after by her husband Peter, 51, who works as a security guard. They made arrangements to fly out to Val d'Isere after being informed of the tragic news.

The family plan to celebrate Mr Rourke's life at a beach party in his honour in Newquay during the summer. Miss Rourke said: "That would have been what he wanted."

Andy Sturt, managing director of Snowline VIP, said: "James and Sam were loyal, valued and extremely popular members of our team. They will be hugely missed."

Jean-Louis Tuaillion, the director of the Tignes Piste Station, blamed the snowboard tragedy on "bad luck" on the Grande Motte's north face.

A rescue worker said: "They were swept away in a deep torrent of ice, snow and rock."

In January the two friends helped raised £18,000 for tsunami charities by walking to the top of Grande Motte. During the arduous mountain trek James described how he took a "small fall".

He wrote in his diary: "It's an incredibly scary experience, hurtling into a black abyss with no control and no idea when you are going to stop."