Swiss skier survives 17 hours in snow

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) -- Search teams in the Swiss Alps yesterday rescued a 21-year-old skier who survived 17 hours in the snow after being buried in an avalanche, local police said.

"Surviving for 17 hours in an avalanche and being found conscious and in a state of mild hypothermia is an extraordinary event," the police said.

The young Swiss had been skiing off-piste in the Evolene region of southern Switzerland when he was caught in an avalanche that left him trapped under 50 centimetres (20 inches) of snow.

His family reported him missing on Saturday afternoon, and a search and rescue team found him yesterday at dawn after spotting movements in the snow from their helicopter.

The skier managed to survive so long, it seems, because he was able to form an air hole above his face in the snow.

Avalanches in the Alps have killed eight people in France and 11 in Austria since the start of February.

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