SRINAGAR- When Gulmarg received fresh snowfall last week, snowboarder Rizza Alee, along with his friend Saqib Mir, accompanied three other skiers to seek thrill upon the mighty slopes.
Little did they know that the fateful day would test their courage and resilience like never before.
It was a crisp Monday morning when Alee and Mir set out with their snowboard and ski equipment to glide over snowy mountains.
As they glided down the slopes, the tranquillity of the mountains began to betray them.
Without any prior indication, a deafening roar shattered the stillness, echoing through the valleys like a thunderous beast unleashed.
In an instant, Alee and Mir found themselves engulfed in a maelstrom of ice and snow.
“We were five people including two skiers of Slovakia who went out for skiing and snowboarding. While we were descending from the phase second, we were trapped in a snow avalanche, which came from two sides. It was a very panicking situation since the area was a green zone,” Alee said.
Fortunately, Alee along with his another fellow skier managed to breathe while Mir was buried under many feet of snow.
“We were rescued by the Slovakian skiers who were following us. The only guy who was missing was Saqib. We could locate him and started rescuing him,” Alee said.
Recounting the episode, Mir said the entire calamity occurred within a fraction of second.
“It was calm everywhere and we were enjoying our adventure. All of sudden avalanche hit the area and I was completely buried under many feet of snow. I couldn’t move my hands and feet and lost all hope of survival,” Mir said.
It was the Slovakian skiers who traced his location and started the rescue operation.
“If my rescue was delayed by more than a minute I wouldn’t have survived. My fellow Kashmiri skiers and Slovakian skiers wasted no time to rescue me. Later people who were around also came and joined the rescue operation,” Mir said. (KNO)
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