A skier who was found buried up to his neck in snow is “lucky to be alive” after triggering an avalanche in Scotland.

The man was found buried up to his neck in a snow slide he triggered in Glen Coe, after ignoring warnings not to go into the area. He was swept away in a category three avalanche, a slide big enough to bury a car.

Davy Gunn, who was operating as a ski patroller that day and helped to dig him free, said: "He was a very lucky chap and he knew he was lucky."

The area was marked off because of the avalanche risk, but he ducked under the rope, Mr Gunn said. He managed to avoid injury.

The avalanche left him hanging on a small rock shelf and he was only buried up to his neck and not under the snow.

After about 40 minutes, the man was able to reach his mobile phone and called a friend who alerted the ski patrol at Glencoe Mountain snowsports centre.