A skier in Switzerland is lucky to be alive after a fellow holidaymaker performed a dramatic rescue, pulling him from deep snow following an avalanche. The entire tense episode was captured on video.
The Moment of Discovery on a Powder Day
Matteo Zilla, a 37-year-old creative director, was skiing in Engelberg on January 10 during what he described as a perfect powder day, with 40 to 50 centimetres of fresh snowfall. His day took a drastic turn when he spotted something unusual in the distance.
"I saw a guy far away who was trying to walk up without skis, so I thought maybe he had lost them and I went down to help search," Matteo explained. "But then I turned my head and saw a foot sticking out of the snow."
A Frantic and Trained Response
Realising a man was completely buried, Zilla immediately rushed over, calling out "I'm coming, all good!" as he trudged through the deep powder towards the trapped skier, whose arm was just visible above the surface. He began frantically digging, putting his avalanche training into practice.
His first priority was to clear the snow from the victim's face and mouth to allow him to breathe, speaking to him to check for injuries. Once he confirmed the man was conscious and not seriously hurt, he meticulously worked to remove the rest of the snow from his body.
"My emotions were on one side, but they weren't important," Matteo stated. "The most important thing was saving his life." It was later discovered the skier had fallen into the snow after hitting some small bushes.
A Stark Reminder of Alpine Dangers
The skier was successfully pulled free and was found to be uninjured. Matteo later posted the video of the rescue online, where he was widely praised for his quick and heroic actions.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent risks of off-piste skiing. It came on the same weekend that a British man, believed to be in his 50s, was among six skiers killed in avalanches in the French Alps.
The Englishman was skiing off-piste at the La Plagne resort on Sunday, January 14, when an avalanche struck. According to the resort, he was not equipped with an avalanche transceiver and was not with a professional instructor. A major rescue operation involving over 50 people located him after 50 minutes, buried under eight feet of snow, but he could not be revived.
Resort officials confirmed three separate avalanches killed three off-piste skiers in the French Alps that day, underscoring the critical importance of proper preparation, equipment, and guidance when venturing away from marked slopes.
