Lost skier rescued after texting mother in UK

A British skier lost on an Italian mountain was rescued after he sent a text message to his mother 900 miles away in England.

Alexander Smith, 36, a Cambridge graduate, was skiing off-piste with friends when he became separated from them and fell from a small ledge.

Although not badly hurt, he was unable to continue downhill and could not contact his friends, who at first failed to realise he was missing, on their mobiles. So he sent a text message to his mother in England from 5,000ft up the Ornella mountain range at Arabba near Belluno in the Dolomites.

The message, "I'm in difficulty quick call police in Arabba," was received on Saturday by his mother, Carol, from Buckinghamshire, who was visiting friends in Matlock, Derbyshire. While friends logged on to the internet to find out the names of hotels in the area, Mrs Smith called directory inquiries and spoke to an operator who had been skiing in the area last year. He gave her the number for the main police station at Belluno, and she explained the position to an officer, who sent a rescue party to find the skier.

Police managed to raise Mr Smith, from Kennington, south London, on his mobile phone and told him to stay where he was as he was walking straight for the edge of the mountain.

Eventually, after being lost for more than six hours and with temperatures falling to minus 10C, Mr Smith was rescued and returned to his hotel.

Mrs Smith said: "You can imagine my horror when I got his text message. I didn't even know he had gone skiing – all I knew was that he was on holiday with his wife."

Mr Smith said: "It was getting very chilly and after a few hours I couldn't even take my phone out of my pocket, because it was so cold, to check if I had any calls or messages. I had a call from the police at Arabba who told me to stay put and I guided them to where I was by landmarks I had seen."

Police captain Federico Quintani said: "Every winter we are called to numerous rescues, but this is the first time we have been alerted via a telephone call from England."