SWSMavalanche – by Sejal Mandal
Video shows how a skier is lucky to be alive after he deployed his airbag during an avalanche.
Witness Morgan Akhourfi, 24, was skiing with his friends near the Col du Géant on the Italian side of Mont Blanc on January 29.
The group had stopped for a break when Morgan ‘s helmet camera captured a skier being swept away by an avalanche.
Terrifying footage shows the skier disappearing under the snow and tumbling 300 metres down the mountain towards a 50-meter cliff.
Luckily, the man, who wasn’t named, survived after triggering his avalanche airbag – a safety device which helps the wearer stay near the surface of the snow.
Morgan and his friends called for help and a rescue helicopter arrived within 20 minutes to airlift the man to safety.
Despite his terrifying fall, the man was found conscious but in shock, suffering from a broken leg and fractured ribs.
Morgan, a skier from Chamonix, France, said: “I thought he was dead.
“We couldn’t see him at all and with that kind of fall it seemed impossible he’d make it out alive.
“There was a 50-meter cliff below and we just saw him disappear.
“We were skiing fast but he was much slower, putting more pressure on the snow and then the whole slope gave way.
“When we found him he was conscious but in shock due to the fall.
“It’s possible the airbag played a role in saving his life but honestly it feels like a miracle he survived.”
ENDS
