A quick-thinking skier who rushed to help an injured snowboarder wants to make contact to find out how he is doing. 

Andy, from Cardiff, is looking to reunite with the Basingstoke man after tending to his injuries during a skiing trip.

Andy was on holiday with friends on the frosty slopes of Saint Anton in Austria when he heard the cries of the distressed snowboarder on Thursday, February 6, just after 10.30am.  

What was supposed to be a relaxing holiday in the picturesque landscape of Nasserein quickly took a turn for the worst as he put his first aid skills into practice for the injured gentleman before the helicopter took him to hospital.

The self-employed decorator described the Basingstoke man as a white male in his mid-40s and clean shaven. 

He told the Gazette: “I was leading the group of skiers down the slopes at the time when I heard him shouting in the distance. 

“We were about 600 meters away from the site, but we could hear him for miles, he was clearly in a lot of pain.”

The 69-year-old swiftly arrived on the scene surrounded by the exposed rocks disguised by the recent snowfall from the night before.

He said: “When I got to him he was lying in the snow and had seriously injured his arm from the fall. 

“We spent a good five minutes trying to find his phone, the poor guy was in so much pain he couldn’t feel it vibrating underneath his arm.”

But whilst the pair were waiting for the emergency services, they found out they had a lot in common.

Basingstoke Gazette: Andy was on a skiing holiday with friends when the incident occurred.Andy was on a skiing holiday with friends when the incident occurred.

He said: “It was difficult to see much of him underneath the huge suit and helmet, but we immediately clicked like we’d known each other for years.”

“We talked about sport and our families, just the simple things in life. 

“But in that half hour I spent with him I learnt that he had a wife and children waiting for him at home and supports Manchester United when he’s not watching the six nations."

One week on, the father-of-three is now anxious to know how the Basingstoke man recovered from his traumatic fall that day on the slopes. 

“I just want to make sure he’s okay really," he said.

He added: “Everything happened so quickly when the paramedics arrived, I just gave them a brief summary of what happened and the details he gave me and then they were off.”

“It would be great just to check in on him and see how he’s getting on and if he recovered well in the hospital.

“I can imagine it would be quite distressing being treated for injuries in an unfamiliar area.”

If you know someone or you yourself were involved in this incident, please get in touch at newsdesk@basingstokegazette.co.uk.