Watch: Helicopter pilot puts rotor within inches of a mountain to rescue skier in the Alps

Last week, a French mountain police helicopter pilot showed some incredible skills (and guts) while conducting rescue operations in the Alps. According to a Facebook post written by Nicolas Derely, who recorded the footage with his phone, this death-defying feat of helicopter-acrobatics was prompted by a rescue of skier Bruno Tauziet. Tauziet dislocated his knee at high elevation, with some 1,200 feet of icy terrain between his ski crew and any level ground.

A basic translation of Derely’s post explains that once he got to Tauziet, he covered him with jacket and checked his phone, where to his surprise he found that he had “4 bars and 4G” service–a lucky break Derely himself calls a miracle.

With no means to find a more suitable landing location, the pilot of the police helicopter chose to stick the nose of his aircraft in the snow, bringing the rotor blades within inches of colliding with the mountain, as his crew brought the injured man on board.

Of course, some may argue this stunt placed the helicopter crew and other skiers at unnecessary risk, but with Tauziet now safely recovering from his injuries, it’s hard to argue with results.

Watch the video below: