A British skier was miraculously rescued after being hit by a 1,300ft avalanche within the French Alps.
Daniel Matthews, 23, was left unconscious for minutes after being buried under 7ft of snow in Tignes.
A video shared on Instagram showed the dramatic moment Mr Matthews was knocked over while skiing downhill on an off-piste route near the Palafour lift on the French resort.
He was discovered by friends six minutes after being covered in snow.
After nine minutes buried, he was in a position to free his head and regain consciousness.
Accepting that he had been each ‘lucky and unlucky’, Danielinsisted his trip had nonetheless been ‘one hell of a thrill’.
He wrote: ‘Friday thirteenth was an unlucky and incredibly lucky day for me. I made a really bad decision and uneducated decision to ski Skimans Couloir just off the Palafour lift in Tignes.
‘Just 30 mins before I had skied the broader couloir about 25 metres further up the ridge (also not the perfect decision) however it was a hell of a thrill!’
Recalling his ordeal, he said the experience was like being thrown around in a ‘washer’ for 35 seconds and snow falling on him as if ‘someone had poured concrete on me’.
What are possibilities of surviving an avalanche?
The survival rate will largely rely on how long the person is buried under, with changes in survival decreasing the longer they’re buried, experts say.
Most individuals die consequently of suffocation (around 57%) or injuries (30%), the Snow Institute says.
- First quarter-hour after burial: if persons are pulled out inside this time, 93% will live, based on the Utah Avalanche Center
- After 45 minutes under snow: the survival rate drops to around 20% to 30%
- Two hours after burial: only a few could make it out alive
He added: ‘I hope I and other may find a way to learn some things. I didn’t follow the signs that day that were clearly there! and I paid for it.
‘The one person guilty is myself.
‘Luckily I used to be wearing the proper equipment and was with individuals who know what they were doing.
‘So please wear the proper equipment, do training, hearken to mother nature and be with people you trust!’
Skiers had been given a rare day-long red alert warning of dangerous conditions on February 13 across several areas within the French Alps, including in the world of Haute-Tarentaise where Tignes is.
It was only the third time the very best alert had been issued for the reason that system was introduced 25 years ago, prompting many resorts to shut pistes.
Two Britons were amongst three killed by an avalanche within the nearby resort of Val d’Isere last week.
Stuart Leslie, 46, and Shaun Overy, 51, were in a bunch of 5 skiers with knowledgeable instructor once they were swept away by a blanket of snow.
Each men were regarded as keen enthusiasts, with Mr Leslie having written about his love of going off-piste.
Across the mountain range in Austria, at the least three people were killed yesterday when avalanches hit in Tyrol, including a dad who was out skiing together with his teen son.
In California, the community in Lake Tahoe is reeling after the death of six friends, who were on a guided backcountry ski trip once they were struck by an avalanche.
Dry slabs of avalanche snow can reach as much as 186mph (300kmh), with the mass itself powerful enough to injure and kill, while victims will also be hit by rocks, debris and trees.
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