Avalanche in Les Houches, boarder pulled out alive

The group were all strong riders but they did not anticipate that in Les Houches, known for having very stable condition, the snow had accumulated enough to cause an avalanche. The group all started off on the off-piste section and a small avalanche broke loose. The instructor quickly realized that one member of his group was missing. The PGHM (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne) was called and arrived around 10:45 at the scene. The boarder caught in the avalanche happened to be one of the only in the group wearing a transceiver and the PGHM located him and started digging upon arrival. The victim was pulled out of the avalanche after 30 minutes with his femur fractured but no frostbite. The victim reported afterward that he could do nothing to stay above the avalanche and when the mass of snow finally came to a halt, he began digging around his mouth and nose to create an air pocket. Being an aspirante guide, the victim knew what to do and did his best not to panic.