Skier survives two avalanches

Probably one of the luckiest men alive in the world this week was Gilles Girand who survived buried under the snow for 45 minutes as he awaited rescuers to arrive. The emergency personnel spotted his hand while searching in a helicopter and immediately called for backup. The 53-year-old said his instincts kicked in when he realised there was an avalanche and he stuck his arm in through the snow to try and create an air passage and for potential rescuers to find him.

When the lucky skier was pulled out of the snow his body temperature had plunged by nine degrees to 28C. People that often get caught in avalanches usually die by hyperthermia or suffocation. To be under the snow for 45 minutes and survive is a real miracle as the chances of being found alive drop dramatically after just 15 minutes and it is fairly rare to find people still alive after 35 minutes trapped beneath the white powder.

Mr Girand described how after the first avalanche hit he was left lying on his back looking up to the sky thinking it is okay, and he will be safe. Then the second avalanche came tumbling down the mountainside near Grenoble and buried all of him bar his hand. He said how he twice had to get snow from his throat as it was suffocating. After being under for 45 minutes, he told of the moment when he felt someone shake his hand that was poking through the snow and he shook back. One of the rescuers said he had better start believing in God, because this was a miracle.