In a heartbreaking video captured by a GoPro camera, an experienced French skier miraculously survives after falling into a massive crevasse in the French Alps. The skier managed to wedge his skis into the sides of the crevasse to escape certain death. The video, which has already received millions of views, shows the dramatic moment and reminds us of the dangers of skiing in Alpine environments.
The clip is filmed in the first person and was published by the ski group Les Powtos on Tuesday. It was shot on the way to the famously difficult Mount Meije in the French Alps.
It shows how the experienced skier, while crossing a difficult path on the famous and difficult Mount Meije, accidentally crosses the snow crack and within seconds plunges into the abyss.
Watch as a skier falls into a glacier 😳 pic.twitter.com/dws2e2WzBT
— OddIy Terrifying (@OTerrifying) April 23, 2023
You can hear him shout “Oh le con!” as he slides down the steep glacier, a phrase that in English roughly translates to “I’m an idiot”.
Thankfully, the unnamed skier – who “has a lot of experience and has been practicing mountaineering and ski climbing for a long time” – survived and had a GoPro mounted that captured the event.
The group recounted the arduous efforts they made to rescue him – using crampons, axes and shovels.
The operation reportedly took hours, but fortunately the skier was brought to safety – and out of the icy depths of the glacier.