British man shot dead while mountain biking in French Alps

Oct. 14 (UPI) -- A British man was shot dead by a hunter's stray bullet in the French Alps on Saturday, authorities said.

Marc Sutton, 34, was riding a mountain bike on a popular trail near Montriond, France, close to the border with Switzerland, the BBC reported. He died when a 22-year-old hunter in the vicinity fired a shot and struck Sutton.

According to the Telegraph, the hunter, who has not been publicly identified, mistook Sutton for an animal. But the local prosecutor for the Thonon-Les-Bains region said Sutton couldn't be confused for game because he had a "colored helmet and a colored mountain bike."

The prosecutor also suggested that the gun might have gone off accidentally, but added that he is under investigation for aggravated manslaughter.

The gunman was hospitalized for shock after the incident.

Sutton, originally from Wales, was a restaurant owner in the area. Friends described him as an avid outdoorsman who was often snowboarding and mountain-biking in the popular Alps area.

"Marc had a lot of friends in the area. We'll all miss him," said Amie Henderson, a friend and neighbor.