A helicopter pilot has pulled off a precision landing to rescue an injured skier on the French Alps, with the aircraft's rotor blades spinning dramatically close to the mountainside.
According to Storyful, the rescue from the Pass of Anterne in Passy, France, was captured on video on January 2 by Nicolas Derely after the skier, a 19-year-old friend of Mr Derely's son named Emmanuel De Bellavoine, began to struggle because of a weak knee.
Mr Derely said the group captured footage of the rescue after calling for help.
In videos posted to Facebook, the helicopter can be seen flying in to rescue the injured man, with the nose of the aircraft wedging into the snow as the front-right landing skid pressed against the mountain.
French mountain police are seen helping the injured skier after landing, before hoisting him into a helicopter.
"There's a lot of wind coming down, I … get my phone out, and miracle, I have the four bars and 4G," Mr Derely wrote on Facebook about capturing the footage.
According to French television channel France 3, the rescue took place at an altitude above 2,000 metres. The injured skier was taken to Chamonix Hospital.
