Incredible moment British skier rescues woman trapped under snow and running out of air after she fell on off-piste run
- Chalet host’s legs were flailing around after she was buried under snow
- ‘She could have suffocated to death’ says friend and rescuer, Will Field, 23
- Buried skier from Cambridge was catapulted head first from her shoe locks
- Race against time to free 19-year-old was caught all caught on camera
Incredible footage has shown a skier rescue a woman who was trapped and running out of air fast.
Will Field, 23, was skiing down a quiet slope in the French Alps on Tuesday when he saw two legs flailing out of the snow.
The Coventry holiday rep was able to save her, but says his friend could easily have lost her life.
He said: ‘The slope we were on was off the beaten track and not used by the public.
‘I went down the slope and saw legs sticking out from under the snow.
‘She was more than half a metre under the snow and you could see her wriggling her legs to try to get out.
‘But she was completely stuck and could not move. My gut reaction was to just act as quickly as I could.’
Will Field (right, pictured with his sister Rachel) says his friend could easily have suffocated had he not come to her rescue
His friend,a 19-year-old chalet host, had crashed head first into the snow while skiing on a remote, rarely used track at Les Arcs, a ski resort in Savoie, France.
The buried skier from Cambridge was one of five resort workers who were enjoying some down time on the slopes.
After pulling ahead of the group she hit a stiff patch of snow and was catapulted from her shoe locks.
Despite only being buried under two foot of snow, the teenager was running out of air and couldn’t use her arms to escape.
Footage from Will’s head cam shows the skier’s bright red trouser legs sticking out from the white mountainside.
In a matter of seconds he is by her side, digging her out of the snow with a small shovel and freeing her right arm.
Another skier begins frantically digging with their hands to free their friend and she is quickly freed.
Mr Field said: ‘Fortunately I had my safety kit and I shouted over another skier to help out.
‘She could breathe but there’s only so much oxygen under there.
‘The snow was really heavy and it could have ended up being a life and death situation.
Footage captured the moment the 19-year-old skier was pulled free from the slope after crashing head first into snow at the Les Arcs resort in France on Tuesday
‘She could have suffocated to death if no one else was there to help.’
Speaking after her dramatic rescue, the unnamed woman said: ‘I hit a stiff patch of snow and was flung from my skis head first.
‘I was trying to wiggle my arms but I could not get out.
‘I knew other people would end up coming behind me so I wasn’t as scared as I’d have been if I was on my own.
‘I was completely stuck and could not move. I could breathe but the snow was really heavy.
‘I tried to wiggle myself free but it wouldn’t work.
Will Field, 23, said it was lucky his friend was wearing such bright trousers, otherwise he may not have spotted her on the quiet ski slope
‘The next thing I knew Will came up to me and started digging. I was relieved but I started to panic.
‘I have no idea what I’d have done if he wasn’t there to help.’
Will has been based in the French Alps for four months and said incidents like this show why it is so important to carry safety equipment when skiing.
He said: ‘Fortunately she was wearing red trousers because I could have missed her completely.
‘It was scary for me to be in that position but I am glad I was there. I wasn’t sure if she was hurt or not.
‘I am quite experienced at skiing and had all of the proper safety equipment with me. It could have been much worse than it was.’
The female skier suffered no injuries.