Ever hit a patch of crusty snow in the middle of a good section of pow? You’re cruising along at speed, enjoying the soft stuff when all of a sudden a stiff patch sends you yard sale-ing head over heals, double ejecting into oblivion? Yeah, it happens. And it happened to this women in fairly dramatic fashion at Les Arcs in France recently.
The event captured the attention of most of Europe. The woman – who wasn’t identified – took a header into deep powder and was unable to free herself. Along came the hero, a friend named Will Field, who was apparently carrying avalanche equipment and busted out his shovel to dig the woman out before signaling another skier to stop and help.
The buried skier was lucky to be riding with a friend. “I knew other people would end up coming behind me so I wasn’t as scared as I’d have been if I was on my own,” she told the media after. “I was completely stuck and could not move. I could breathe but the snow was really heavy. I tried to wiggle myself free but it wouldn’t work. The next thing I knew Will came up to me and started digging. I was relieved but I started to panic. I have no idea what I’d have done if he wasn’t there to help.”
