A dramatic rescue has unfolded in the mountains above Almaty, Kazakhstan after a 27-year-old tourist was pulled alive from beneath an avalanche at Shymbulak Ski Resort.

The incident occurred on February 22 in the off-piste area of Sukhoi Log, where the man had ventured beyond marked trails, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Response, a call was received on the 112 hotline reporting that a skier had been trapped under a mass of snow after an avalanche suddenly swept down the slope.

Rescue teams from the city’s Rescue Unit-23, together with Shymbulak’s own emergency crews, rushed to the scene. In a race against time, they managed to locate the buried skier and dig him out.

“Thanks to the prompt and professional actions of the rescue services, the individual was quickly found and pulled from the snow,” the ministry said in a statement.

First aid was administered on-site before the man was transported to the resort’s medical clinic for further examination. Officials confirmed that his life and health are not in danger. After medical checks, he was released home.

The close call comes just a week after another avalanche outside the boundaries of Shymbulak nearly turned deadly. On February 14, a freerider also strayed off groomed trails and was buried under a thick layer of snow. Rescue crews were once again able to prevent tragedy.

Authorities are urging winter sports enthusiasts to avoid off-piste areas, especially amid unstable snow conditions, warning that a single wrong turn can have life-threatening consequences.