A significant rescue mission was initiated on a Swiss mountain when a skier discovered a young boy trapped beneath the snow. While skiing in Engelberg, Matteo Zilla noticed a waving arm and promptly halted to assist. In a video posted on social media, the 37-year-old creative director is seen approaching the individual, who was buried under fresh snow from an avalanche, and clearing his airways.
With the help of other skiers, Matteo worked to comfort the buried boy, assuring him that they would extricate him safely. Their prompt actions led to freeing the trapped skier, with Matteo confirming on Instagram: “We released him and thankfully there were no repercussions.”
Providing additional insights on social media, Matteo shared that initially, he thought the person had misplaced their skis, as he had witnessed a man struggling to walk uphill without them. However, upon closer inspection, he realized the individual was completely submerged under the snow.
Describing the incident, Matteo recounted, “We were skiing in Engelberg on a day with fresh powder snow. Amidst the snowfall, we received around 40 to 50 centimeters of fresh powder. I spotted a person in the distance attempting to walk uphill without skis, assuming they had lost them, prompting me to descend and aid in the search.”
“However, upon turning my head, I saw a foot protruding from the snow. I immediately rushed over, cleared the snow from his face and mouth, and communicated with him to assess any injuries. It became apparent that he was unharmed, and we carefully removed the remaining snow covering his body.”
“We later discovered that he had been skiing downhill, overlooked some small bushes, and tumbled into the snow. While my emotions were heightened, they were inconsequential. 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 competed for Switzerland at the 2022 Winter Olympics and aimed for 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, Valais. Another person sustained injuries and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Valais police confirmed via Twitter that “several individuals were swept away” by the avalanche around 2 pm on Easter Monday. Regrettably, it was confirmed that three individuals, including a teenager, had passed away, while another was injured.