A German man is counting his blessings after surviving an avalanche while skiing in Italy in a terrifying ordeal caught on video. Three witnesses watched and recorded in quiet despair as a mass of snow swept the German skier up and thrust him down the mountain in a small avalanche on Col du Géant,

On January 29, a routine ski run turned into a desperate fight for survival for a German skier. A video showing him being caught in a massive avalanche while descending Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe, has gone viral.

A skier is lucky to be alive after being swept away by an avalanche while skiing near Mont Blanc on January 29. Witness Morgan Akhourfi, 24, filmed the terrifying moment when the skier disappeared under the snow,