A snowboarder says he survived getting caught in an avalanche thanks to his helmet and airbag.
ADVERTISEMENTSnowboarder Thomas Kray got caught in an avalanche while exploring off-piste — going off the regular routes — at a ski resort Tignes in the French Alps on Sunday.
Kray survived being swept away thanks to his airbag and helmet as he fell from a cliff while rolling down.
Kray’s helmet camera captured the moment he became caught in the avalanche.
The snowboarder told Euronews that he’s already had two close encounters with avalanches in the past but that this was the first time he was actually caught in an avalanche.
He described the experience as “going down like you are water”.
“There’s little you can do after you get caught in an avalanche,” he added.
According to data compiled by Euronews, the most number of deaths related to avalanches in the 2017/2018 season has been in France with 22 deaths.
Kray says he got scared when he realised what had happened but was able to calm down after activating his safety gear and focusing on the “security protocol”.
The snowboarder was lucky not to suffer any major injuries after the incident but a bruised finger.
As for the video he uploaded to social media, Kray said he hopes it teaches people the importance of having their safety gear on while doing off-piste.
But despite the scary episode, Kray plans to continue snowboarding. He’ll be staying in the Alps for another two weeks before going hiking in Iceland.