Schoolboy Survives Epic Selfie Fall
Second photo-related fall at a ski area in a week
A 14-year-old British boy survived a 1,640-foot fall while taking a selfie in the Austrian Alps, the Telegraph reports. He was not seriously injured.
The incident happened last week on Mount Scharek during a school trip to Mölltal Glacier, according to the Telegraph. The boy had been standing with a ski instructor and five friends when he stepped backwards while holding his phone out in front of him and slipped off a cliff edge.
“His ski boots were unable to grip, and he just fell and fell until he came to rest on a ledge,” one mountain rescuer told Mirror. “He was very fortunate not to have suffered broken limbs, head, or internal injuries.”
The boy maintained contact with the mountain for most of his fall. His descent was described as more of a ricochet down an icy chute than a freefall through space. He was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Schwarzach.
This is the second photo-related fall at a ski resort within a week. On February 12, a 28-year-old Australian man fell 250 feet off a cliff in an out-of-bounds area at Grand Targhee ski area in Wyoming, according to the Jackson Hole News & Guide. He suffered no serious injuries.
