A British schoolboy fell 1,640 feet off a mountain while taking a selfie... and lived.
Due to strict Austrian privacy laws forbidding the identification of minors, the boy's name has not been released, but according to U.K.'s The Sun, the 14-year-old was on a school trip from Leeds. The boy and some classmates - along with a ski-instructor - were visiting the alpine ski resort of Molltaler Gletscher in Carinthia, which is located in southern Austria.
On Friday afternoon, the group took a ski-lift up the 10,242 foot mountain Scharek, according to a U.K. news blog, K.A.T.M., and the views were photo-worthy. The five teens started to take selfies, but as the boy stepped back, he slipped on the ice.
Amazingly, the boy survived with only bumps and bruises. The boy fell at a 40 degree angle, which caused him to slide down an "icy chute" instead of free falling. "He remained in contact with the slope, almost certainly saving his life," said a mountain rescue spokesperson, according to K.A.T.M. "It was certainly a miracle for him."
The ski instructor and the boy's classmates put on their skis and raced down the mountain to find the fallen boy. The boy was in shock, according to K.A.T.M., but unharmed aside from a sore shoulder and some bruises.
"His ski boots were unable to grip and he just fell and fell until he came to rest on a ledge," said another rescuer, according to K.A.T.M. "He was very fortunate not to have suffered broken limbs, head or internal injuries."
Alpin Heli 6, the rescue helicopter from Salzburg, took the boy from the mountain to hospital Schwarzach where he remains under observation. He is expected home later this week.
