Nicolas Derely said he was skiing with his family when his son’s friend injured his knee on Jan. 2, according to a Facebook post.
The group was navigating the Anterne Pass at roughly 7,400 feet when the incident occurred, according to French news outlets.
Despite the altitude, Derely said it was a “miracle” that he had “four bars and 4G” and was able to call for help.
French mountain police responded to the scene, bringing a helicopter to airlift the injured man from the mountainside, according to Global News.
The most impressive feat is how the pilot partially landed the helicopter’s nose precisely in the snow, keeping the blades from striking the slope.
After lifting the injured man to safety, the pilot repeated the remarkable maneuver again to rescue the rest of the group.
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