A high mountain rescue in Chamonix that shows off the superb skills of the rescue services has gone viral.
These videos and images were captured by Nicolas Derely, who was part of a group ski touring near the Col d’Anterne pass in Chamonix last week.
Breathtaking skills
When one of the skiers in his group was injured, they had to call in the PGHM rescue services and it wasn’t long before a helicopter flew out to them.
These breathtaking images show how the pilot is able to balance the nose of the helicopter on to the mountain, while the blades are still turning to allow one of the team to disembark and make their way to the injured party and winch them to safety.
The videos have gone viral with over 500,000 views combined already.
View the video here:
https://www.facebook.com/nicolas.derely/videos/10217796932345956/
"Nothing extraordinary"
According to the pilot, Lieutenant Jean-François Martin, this this manoeuvre was "nothing extraordinary", and is taught to all the pilots who pass the mountain qualification.
While we encourage all skiers and snowboarders to err on the side of caution and ideally go out with a guide when going backcountry in the high mountains, we recognise that accidents can happen at any time.
When that does happen, it’s great to know that there are such skilful professionals available to help.
See another view of the incident here:
https://www.facebook.com/nicolas.derely/videos/10217796964506760/
