A man skiing on Mount Mon Blanc escaped death by the whiskers when an avalanche occurred by quickly inflating his emergency airbag.
The video was captured on the headgear of a witness, 24-year-old Morgan Akhourfi, who was also skiing on the mountain but had grouped with other Chamonix skiers as the avalanche started.
The footage showed the man racing down the mountain as the avalanche chased after him. The sliding snow however caught up with him but he was quick to inflate his anti-avalanche airbag which ensured he stayed ontop and was not buried under the thick snow and ice.
Video below:
The airbag backpack has a balloon fitted to a gas canister which immediately inflates as soon as the wearer triggers it.
The skier was discovered in shock, injured with a broken leg and fractured ribs, but alive. A rescue helicopter was called to render emergency service. The avalanche had dragged him over 300 meters towards a cliff.
The incident happened on January 29, 2025, on Mont Blanc – the highest mountain in Europe. The man was lucky as 5 separate avalanches happened that same day in the French Alps which killed 5 skiers.
The incident highlighted the importance of having safety equipments, especially while doing extreme and dangerous sports even when all precautions have been taken.
