Moment skier plummets 1,600ft down mountain... but escapes with his life

Plunge: Skier Ian McIntosh skis down the sheer mountainface moments before being tripped by a five-foot trench, seen here on his left
Teton Moutain Research
Sebastian Mann10 November 2015

Footage has captured the terrifying moment a professional skier plunged 1,600ft after losing his footing on a sheer Alaskan mountainside.

Ian McIntosh escaped with his life despite tumbling for an entire minute down the side of a peak in the Neocola mountain range.

He was attempting to ski the steep cliff for a documentary when he lost his balance and began cartwheeling down.

In the footage, posted on YouTube by producers Teton Gravity Research (TGR), he is seen losing a ski before the heartstopping plunge.

He apparently fell after tripping on a five foot trench which had been missed when the skier initially studied the route.

Mr McIntosh said: "From there, my slough took over and their was no way to stop. I pulled my airbag to help prevent against any possible trauma injuries as I tumbled to the bottom."

Amazingly, the skier escaped without any serious injuries. At the end of his fall, he is seen waving to the cameras while exclaiming: "I'm OK, I'm OK."

TGR co-founder Todd Jones described the incident as the "the most terrifying crash I've ever seen". Since being posted on YouTube on November 5th, the video has been viewed more than 125,000 times.

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