Boy, 12, 'Miraculously' Survives Being Trapped by Avalanche for 40 Minutes

A 12-year-old is lucky to be alive after being buried under snow in the French Alps for nearly an hour. 

The child, who hasn’t been named, was skiing at the La Plagne ski resort when an avalanche occurred, launching him 110 yards down the mountain before he became trapped for 40 minutes. 

He was skiing with six other people when the incident happened Wednesday, but was the only one who became trapped. 

Rescuers searched by helicopter for the boy, but it was a sniffer dog who located him in what authorities are calling are “miracle,” as chances of survival drastically decrease after just 15 minutes buried in snow. 

He reportedly survived because his airways weren't blocked.

"We can call it a miracle. A day after Christmas, there was another gift in store," Capt. Patrice Ribes said.

The preteen broke his leg and was transported to the hospital for treatment, Euronews reported.

RELATED STORIES