Boy saved after giant snowman fall

A 3-year-old was saved by his parents after a 10ft snowman collapsed on him during a skiing holiday.

Louis Vindal-Nisbett, from Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, stopped breathing during the incident at the Leutasch resort in Tyrol, Austria, the Austrian Times reports.

His father Yves Vindal, 31, said: "There was a loud crack and then my son vanished under a mass of snow and ice. I ran over straight away and my only thought was to get Louis out as soon as possible.

"But the snow was like concrete. I was ripping and tearing at the snow and my hands were bleeding but I didn't care. It was like he was trapped in cement - it was only when others rushed over to help that we managed to get him out."

The parents had to perform artificial respiration to get Louis breathing again and he was placed in an artificial coma at General Hospital in Innsbruck to allow staff to assess his injuries.

A hospital spokesman said: "The child is now out of danger and we anticipate he will soon be able to leave the ward."

Local police spokesman Inspector Johannes Adentung confirmed that the other promotional snow sculptures in the area had been dismantled.