"What Is That in the Snow?" A Foot Sticking Out... Dramatic Rescue in the Alps

Man Buried in Snow Safely Rescued Thanks to Passing Skier

A scene showing a man buried in snow being rescued by a passing skier in the Swiss Alps has been released.

A man buried in the snow in Switzerland was rescued by a passing skier. Instagram

On January 13 (local time), the New York Post in the United States reported, "A man who was buried in snow after being swept away by an avalanche in Switzerland was rescued thanks to the quick response of a passing skier."

According to the report, Matteo Gila, a 37-year-old creative director, was skiing in Engelberg in the Swiss Alps on January 10 when he spotted a foot sticking out of the snow.

Gila explained, "It was snowing in Engelberg at the time, and about 40 to 50 centimeters of powder snow had accumulated overnight," adding, "I saw someone walking uphill without skis in the distance and thought he had lost his skis, so I went down to help."

He continued, "The moment I turned my head, I saw a foot sticking out of the snow," and immediately rushed to rescue the man buried in the snow. He had previous experience with avalanche response training.

He also released a video of the rescue process on his social media account. Gila said, "First, I removed the snow from around his face and mouth and spoke to him to check for injuries," adding, "Fortunately, I confirmed he was not seriously hurt and then slowly pulled his entire body out."

A man buried in the snow in Switzerland was rescued by a skier passing by. Instagram

The rescued man reportedly lost his balance and flipped headfirst into the snow after failing to notice some small shrubs while skiing downhill. He was found to be unharmed with no significant injuries immediately after the rescue.

Meanwhile, fatal avalanche accidents have been occurring across Europe in recent weeks. In the past month alone, at least 17 people have died in avalanches throughout Europe. Last weekend, six skiers were reported dead in avalanches in the French Alps. In Austria's Baerberg Mountain, a female skier was buried by an avalanche and was rescued, but died during treatment at the hospital.

In the Aosta region of northern Italy, one man died in an avalanche last weekend. Local authorities stated that the accident occurred on a popular route frequently used by ski tourists.

Mountain authorities in various European countries have issued avalanche warnings at level 4 (high) and level 5 (very high), urging people to refrain from skiing on unofficial routes.