'Miracle' Boy Survives Avalanche After Being Buried Alive For 40 Minutes

A 12-year-old boy survived 40 minutes buried under an avalanche in the French Alps on Wednesday, a feat rescuers called a "miracle."

The boy was skiing on an off-piste section of the slopes at the La Plagne ski resort in Bourg Saint-Maurice when he was swept away and separated from his group, French police told the Associated Press.

According to officials, he was going down the slope ahead of seven other skiers and "was caught when a large section of snow detached and roared down the mountain." The deluge of snow, ice and rocks carried the boy at least 110 yards but it's unclear how deeply he was buried.

The region of the Alps where the avalanche occurred had a massive snowfall earlier this month, after a late start to the ski season, which kept many local resorts shuttered longer than expected. Courchevel, where La Plagne is located, had about 15 inches of snow over a single weekend and although that brought some relief to business owners, it created a high risk of avalanches.