British climber killed after fall in Alps

VIENNA, June 29 (UPI) -- An inexperienced British mountain climber died Friday after falling several hundred feet down a rocky enclave in the Austrian Alps, officials said.

The unidentified 42-year-old man was climbing with a companion in western Tyrol province when he slipped down the rocky slope, landing about 650 feet below on a bed of rocks, the BBC said.

A helicopter was used to retrieve the man's body. Officials said the duo were not veteran climbers and had encountered bad weather and snow-covered paths, forcing them off their route.

The British embassy in Vienna is providing consular services to the victim's family.