The miracle freerider on Monte Canin in the Julian Alps

This happened last Friday, March 18, 2016, a date the Slovenian skier won’t forget all too quickly. He was skiing off-piste on Monte Canin in Italy’s Sella Nevea when, all of a sudden, he disappeared into a deep chasm, one of many dotted across the Friulian Karst. A hole so enormous that not even the recent heavy snowfall had managed to fill. The freerider fell 10 meters, landed on the snow below and, fortunately, broke only his wrist and bruised his leg. But escaping from the pit proved impossible. Also because, and this is the key point, the free rider was alone, had chosen to ski offsite on his own and there wasn’t a soul in sight…

For about three hours he shouted for help, in vain, then the miracle happened: a father and his daughter happened to ski in precisely the same area called Livinal Lunc, on the border with Slovenia. The daughter stopped, completely by chance, next to hole, saw the skis and noticed the tracks that led into nowhere.

The rest happened quickly: the emergency call, the first rescuers, the helicopter, the hoist and happy ending. The Slovenian obviously thanked all those involved, namely the father and daughter, and the mountain rescue teams of the Sella Nevea Guardia di Finanza, the State Police and the CNSAS Cave del Predil. And next time, we’re certain, he’ll think twice before venturing off-piste alone.

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