See an Avalanche Take Out a French Ski Lift...With Skiers on It!

An avalanche that broke out of the French Alps looks as if it's going in slow motion, but don't let that fool you of its strength.

Watch as the sliding snow at the St. Francois-Longchamps ski resort takes out parts of the ski lift as skiers stand by to watch:

According to the English subtitles in the report, it was the slow speed of the avalanche that didn't worry onlookers its intensity at first. The Telegraph reports that dozens of skiers were on the lift when the avalanche hit March 2. Some managed to get off in time while others remained dangling until helicopter rescue teams arrived:

"There was the risk of another avalanche so we wanted to avoid bringing the people down on the ground to stop them being swept way by another avalanche," said Captain Cyril Anceau, the Alps rescue commander.

According to the report, the avalanche was 500 meters long.  There were no injuries.

(Related: Snowboarder saved during avalanche thanks to airbag)

A separate avalanche in the Utah on the other hand was very close to turning deadly when it buried a man on a snowmobile alive. Fox Insider reports that Tyson Black was under the snow for 20 minutes while friends frantically dug him out. When they reached Black, he was alive. Watch the footage of the rescue:

[H/T GeekoSystem]