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Swiss hiker rescued unharmed after being buried in avalanche for 6 hours
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Swiss hiker rescued unharmed after being buried in avalanche for 6 hours

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© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Feb 11, 2023
Jan de Boer

Editor at IamExpat Media

Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016. While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more

A man in Switzerland who was trapped underneath an avalanche for over six hours has now been recovered from under the snow by the emergency services. Swiss police said that the 26-year-old was lucky to be alive.

Man recovered from under avalanche by Swiss emergency services

In a statement given to 20 Minuten, the police in Canton Valais in Switzerland confirmed that they had recovered a 26-year-old alpine hiker from beneath the site of a recent avalanche, likely caused by the snowy weather in the region over the past few weeks. It turned out that the man had been stuck underneath the snow for over six hours before he was rescued.

The weight of the snow meant that he was unable to move any of his limbs for the entire six-hour period. Miraculously, the man was recovered by the authorities and was only airlifted to the hospital as a precaution. He was later confirmed to be unharmed by the incident.

Liddes: Glücklicher Ausgang nach Lawinenniederganghttps://t.co/wRuLBjRBdi pic.twitter.com/L1FPBf7Wll

— Polizei Wallis (@PolizeiWallis) February 9, 2023

Swiss police: always tell someone where you are going if you hike alone

Speaking to 20 Minuten, a spokesperson said that his family had made a missing persons report on February 8 after the man had not returned. Luckily, he had informed them of the exact route he was taking, meaning the authorities were able to identify the route and the avalanche that buried him, and soon dug him out on February 9.

In concluding the statement, police said that the only reason why the man was found so quickly - and alive - was that he followed one of the most important rules: if you are going to hike in the winter alone, always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return.

Thumb image credit: ArCere / Shutterstock.com

By Jan de Boer