The one that got away

A 35 year old ski tourer has been caught by an avalanche above Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye in the Alpes de Haute-Provence late yesterday morning. Climbing alone he could have become just another one of these years statistics but fate decided otherwise.

The victim, from Voiron near Grenoble, was eventually able to free his head from the slide but was unable to move the rest of his body. Fortunately a 79 year old man had been following his progress from the valley with binoculars and alerted the High Mountain Police based in Jausiers who were able to rescue the skier. The man was suffering from mild hypothermia.