Man survives seven hours buried in avalanche, Norway

A man has been rescued alive after being buried for seven hours under an avalanche in northern Norway. Local media call his rescue a "miracle." The man, believed to be in his 40s or 50s, was found conscious under about 1.5 meters (5 feet) of snow in Lyngen municipality shortly after midnight. He survived by staying in an air pocket, which allowed him to call the police. Dr. Audun Hetland, an avalanche researcher, noted that most people suffocate within 10 minutes of being buried. Surviving for seven hours is extremely rare. Kristian Midtgard, a dog handler involved in the rescue, expressed surprise at the man’s survival. He said that statistics show it is usually not possible to live after being buried for so long. The mayor of Lyngen, Erik Larsen, referred to the rescue as a "miracle." The man was part of a group of three tourists on a ski tour in a high-risk avalanche area. One other member of the group was swept away but managed to swim to safety and contact authorities. A search is ongoing for a missing woman from the group. The nationalities of the tourists have not been revealed.