ReadersDigestAustraliaNewZealand-March2018

March• 2018 | 55

READER’S DIGEST

snowboarder was last seen from the

Oberalp Pass.

“Downthere,”shoutsvonDach

andpointsthroughagapinthe

clouds.

“There’s someone there!” Now the

pilot,too,canseeafigurewaving

his arms around wildly outside a

woodenhut.Thentheybothseethree

man-sized blue letters sprayed onto

the snow: SOS!

“It’s him!”

A SOBBING NICOLAScollapses into

the search party leader’s arms. “It’s

all OK now,” says von Dach, reassur-

ing the rescued teenager. “You did all

the right things!”

Some time later, father and son are

standing outside the door of farmer

Remo Christen’s home in Hospental.

“Your hut saved my life,” says Nico-

las. “I just wanted to say thank you

andsorryforbreakingthelock.”

Hisfathertakesouthiswallet.“We

will of course pay for the damage.”

Thegruffsheepfarmersayshe’llbe

sure to send them the bill.

“Whataboutthespaghetti and

tomato sauce?”

“That’s on the house!”

convinces him that someone is listen-
ing. Every so often he drifts off to
sleep and all is well with the world.
He’s at home with friends and family,
and no longer alone. Then he wakes
up and the nightmare begins again.
On Saturday, the storm batters the
walls of the hut all day long, while
the snow is now several metres deep.
When Nicolas opens the door, a white
hell stretches out before him.
Climbing to the summit is no longer
an option, much less trying to make
his way down the mountain. If he
starts an avalanche, it could engulf the
people who are attempting to get up
the mountain to rescue him.

SUNDAY MORNING.Back at the Rega
base,StefanBuchelilooksupatthe
sky. Although the cloud is slowly
starting to break up, the Gemsstock
is still completely shrouded.
The helicopter pilot doesn’t want
towasteasinglemoment.Hestarts
uptheturbineandtakesoff.Hepicks
upvonDachatthecablecarhalfway
station.Thecloudsforcethepilot
tomakeadetour:Buchelihastofly
around the Saint-Gotthard Massif
and approach the location where the

FROMSONNTAGSZEITUNG (MARCH 13, 2016), ©TAMEDIA AG, TAMEDIA.CH

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