A significant rescue mission was initiated on a Swiss mountain when a skier discovered a young boy trapped beneath a layer of snow. While skiing in Engelberg, Matteo Zilla noticed a waving arm and promptly halted to render assistance. In a video circulated on social platforms, the 37-year-old creative director can be observed approaching the individual buried after an avalanche, carefully clearing the snow to ensure clear airways.
With the help of fellow skiers, Matteo comforted the trapped boy, assuring him of their efforts to extricate him. Their prompt actions led to the successful rescue of the buried skier, as Matteo recounted on Instagram: “We freed him, and thankfully, he suffered no harm.”
Providing more insights on social media, Matteo disclosed his initial assumption that the person had misplaced their skis, recalling his observation of a man struggling to ascend without them. However, upon closer inspection, he realized the individual was entirely submerged beneath the snow.
He recounted, “We were skiing in Engelberg on a day with fresh powder. Amidst the snowfall, we received approximately 40 to 50 centimeters of fresh snow. I spotted a person in the distance attempting to ascend without skis, so I presumed they had lost them and descended to assist in the search.”
“However, as I turned my gaze, I noticed a foot protruding from the snow. Without hesitation, I cleared the snow from his face and mouth, engaging with him to assess any injuries. Upon confirming his well-being, we carefully removed the remaining snow covering him.”
“We learned that he had been skiing downhill, overlooked some small shrubs, and tumbled into the snow. While my emotions were intense, they were secondary. The primary focus was on saving his life.”
According to the European Avalanche Warning Services, snow avalanches claim around 100 lives annually in Europe. In the 2024/2025 season, there were 70 recorded fatalities, with 20 in Switzerland, 21 in France, 11 in Italy, and eight in Austria.
In December 2024, Swiss Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger, a member of the national snowboard cross team, tragically perished in an avalanche at the age of 26. Sophie, who represented Switzerland at the 2022 Winter Olympics and aimed for a spot at the 2026 Games in Italy, was caught in the incident at the Arosa mountain resort.
In April of the same year, at least three individuals, including a 15-year-old, lost their lives in an avalanche in Zermatt, located in the southern canton of Valais. A fourth person sustained injuries and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Valais police confirmed via a post on Twitter that “multiple individuals were swept away” by the avalanche, which struck around 2 pm on Easter Monday. Tragically, it was confirmed that three individuals, including a teenager, had succumbed to the avalanche, while another was injured.