Two British skiers are rescued after being trapped in an avalanche for an hour – after they managed to phone police themselves to raise the alarm

• Two British skiers were trapped under snow for nearly an hour after an avalanche
• It happened on Wednesday morning and they called for help using their phones 
• They were skiing in the resort of La Vinyeta in Baqueira in the Spanish Pyrenees
• The pair were taken to hospital, but their injuries are not thought to be serious

Two British skiers were pulled from the snow alive after being buried by an avalanche for nearly an hour.

The pair, who were skiing in the Spanish Pyrenees, found themselves trapped under the snow after the incident at around 10.30am on Wednesday morning.

Spanish officials say the tourists were able to get help after calling the emergency services on their phones while stuck.

Mountain rescuers and two helicopters were called out to find them, and they were later taken to hospital with what are thought to be non-life threatening injuries.

The incident happened at La Vinyeta in Baqueira on Wednesday morning after heavy snowfall in the last two days

The British pair were tapped under the snow for nearly an hour, officials from the ski resort said

According to reports in Spanish media, the incident took place in the popular ski resort of La Vinyeta in Baqueira in the region of Vall d’Aran in the heart of the Pyrenees in Lleida, Catalonia.

Officials in charge of the slopes said the pair spent almost an hour under the snow and were rescued 90 minutes later. 

They were transferred to the Vielha hospital for a first assessment, and may be moved to specialist hospitals in Lleida or Barcelona if needed.

However, according to Spanish newspaper, El Periódico, their lives are not in danger.

The place where the avalanche took place, La Vinyeta, is located at elevation 2,500 of the station.

The pair were able to call the emergency services for help, who dispatched a mountain rescue team and two helicopters to find them

Spanish media report the pair have been taken to hospital, although their lives are not thought to be in danger

The ski resort has experienced heavy snowfall in recent days, with 40cm (15inches) falling on Tuesday and 25cm (9inches) falling on Wednesday morning.

Strong winds have also created deep drifts, and the ‘pisters’ who are in charge of the slopes have stopped people from entering some parts of the area.

The forecast for the Baqueira-Beret ski resort today was of a high risk of avalanches (3/5), as reported on their Twitter profile.

The Meteorological Service of Catalonia maintains warnings of dangerous situations due to snow, wind and cold.

Three people have died in the country after it was hit by two storms, including a 56-year-old German woman who drowned in choppy seas in Mallorca.

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