This incredible video captures the tense moment a man rescues a fellow skier who had been buried in deep snow following an avalanche in Switzerland.
Matteo Zilla, a 37-year-old creative director, was skiing in Engelberg on January 10 when he noticed an arm sticking out of the snow in the distance.
Realising the man was completely buried, Matteo rushed over and began frantically digging him out, using his avalanche training to clear the snow as quickly as possible.
‘I’m coming, all good!’ Matteo can be heard shouting as he trudges through the deep powder towards the trapped skier, whose arm can be seen waving above the surface.
He immediately clears the snow from the man’s face so he is able to breathe before continuing to dig him free.
The skier was pulled out safely and was found to be uninjured.
Matteo later posted the video online, where viewers were quick to praise his heroic actions.
Matteo said: ‘We were skiing in Engelberg on a powder day. It was snowing and we received around 40 to 50 centimetres of fresh powder.
This incredible video captures the tense moment one man rescues a fellow skier who had been buried in deep snow following an avalanche in Switzerland
Matteo Zilla, a 37-year-old creative director, was skiing in Engelberg on January 10 when he noticed an arm sticking out of the snow in the distance
Realising the man was completely buried, Matteo rushed over and began frantically digging him out, using his avalanche training to clear the snow as quickly as possible
‘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.
‘But then I turned my head and saw a foot sticking out of the snow.
‘I immediately went over and removed the snow from his face and mouth, speaking to him to check if he was injured.
‘We realised he wasn’t injured and very slowly removed the rest of the snow from his body.
‘We found out he had been skiing down, didn’t see some small bushes and flipped over into the snow.
‘My emotions were on one side, but they weren’t important. The most important thing was saving his life.’
At least 17 people have been killed by avalanches in Europe in the past month, amid ‘extreme risk’ warnings from regional authorities.
This past weekend alone, eight people died in avalanches, with several incidents involving off-piste skiers in the Alps.
‘I’m coming, all good!’ Matteo can be heard shouting as he trudges through the deep powder towards the trapped skier, whose arm can be seen waving above the surface
He immediately clears the snow from the man’s face so he is able to breathe before continuing to dig him free
The skier was pulled out safely and was found to be uninjured. Matteo later posted the video online, where viewers were quick to praise his heroic actions
Matteo said: ‘We were skiing in Engelberg on a powder day. It was snowing and we received around 40 to 50 centimetres of fresh powder’
In one tragic event, a Brit, believed to be in his 50s, was skiing off-piste at the La Plagne resort in south-eastern France.
The resort said rescue teams were alerted to an avalanche at 1:57pm on Sunday and immediately dispatched to the scene.
More than 50 responders, including medics, ski instructors and a piste dog deployed by helicopter, took part in the search.
The man was located after around 50 minutes, buried beneath eight feet of snow, but could not be revived.
The death was one of three avalanche fatalities involving off-piste skiers in the French Alps on Sunday.
In Vallorcine, Haute-Savoie, a 32-year-old ski patroller was swept away by an avalanche and killed, Le Monde reported.
Although he was not buried, the force of the snow threw him against a tree, causing fatal injuries, according to the Chamonix High Mountain Gendarmerie Platoon (PGHM).
Rescue teams also recovered the body of another skier buried in an avalanche in Courchevel, though authorities provided no further details.
On Saturday, two skiers were killed in Val-d’Isère, in the Savoie region, after being buried beneath 2.5 metres of snow.
Another skier died the same day at the Arêches-Beaufort resort, also in Savoie, after being caught in an avalanche while skiing off-piste with a companion.
Elsewhere in Europe, a female skier died in Austria after being buried by an avalanche on Weerberg mountain in the Schwaz district of Tyrol on Sunday afternoon.
She was rescued in critical condition but later died in hospital in Innsbruck.
In Italy, a man was killed by an avalanche above the northern city of Aosta on Saturday. He was swept away below Pointe de la Pierre and fatally injured.
His body was recovered by the Aosta Valley avalanche rescue service with assistance from the fire department.
The avalanche occurred along a route popular with ski tourers, mountain rescue officials said.
The deadly weekend unfolded as authorities in Europe had issued repeated Level 4 and Level 5 (‘high’ and ‘extreme’) avalanche danger warnings.
Regional authorities urged ‘extreme vigilance’ from and cautioned against off-piste skiing.
Rescue professionals reportedly expressed frustration at the number of skiers tackling the dangerous sloped without essential equipment such as beacons, shovels, or knowledge of avalanche alerts.
While ski resorts and official avalanche services generally maintain controlled piste areas, off-piste and unpatrolled terrain remains particularly dangerous.
Experts advise carrying avalanche safety equipment, travelling with experienced partners and checking official avalanche bulletins before heading into the mountains.
The president of the Association of Slope Safety (ADSP), Frédéric Bonnevie, took to Facebook to, criticise the level of ‘non-compliance with instructions’.
In the past month, Avalanches have claimed the lives of at least nine others.
