Skier’s helmet camera captures dramatic rescue of friend caught in avalanche

Talk about a chilling experience — a skier in the Alps had to be rescued by his friends after the group was struck by an avalanche. And the whole thing was caught on camera.

The helmet-cam footage shows not only the moment when the avalanche hit but also the group’s effort to find their friend James. He was spotted miraculously when the tip of his ski pole broke through the surface of the snow.

James was buried underneath nearly 5 feet of snow, and it took almost an hour for his friends and the ski patrol to dig him out.

“This story should serve as a cautionary tale for all who enjoy spending time in the mountains both in and out of bounds,” James wrote in a blog post. “Do not follow my path, always practice conservative decision making when in the mountains taking into account the local avalanche conditions.”

Seems that James has learned his lesson and is doing his best to make sure that others stay safe when skiing.