Bregenz, Austria (dpa) - A skier trapped under collapsed snow in far western Austria was saved when he was able to call for help with his mobile phone.
The 44-year-old Austrian man defied warnings of unstable snow Wednesday and went skiing at Golm near Tschagguns, dpa reported.
He skied out on a slab of snow that gave way, carrying him along for several metres and burying him under 20 centimetres of snow, police said.
Luckily, a cavity formed in the snow that allowed him to breath, and after 30 minutes, he was able to reach his mobile phone and call for help.
A short time later, rescuers were able to locate him and dig him out, thanks to his call and one of his hands that was protruding from the snow.
He fractured his shin bone and suffered a torn ligament, a police spokesman said.