By Dave Lord

A TRIO of Perthshire school pupils have been hailed as heroes after they rescued a ski instructor following a potentially fatal accident.

The youngsters from Crieff High School rushed to the aid of the stricken man after he fell and sustained serious injuries in the French Alps.

Jamie Henry, Bruce Coull and Alex Wilson, all aged 16, were on a school skiing trip at the mountain resort of Les Deux Alpes, near Grenoble, when the spectacular drama unfolded.

The group’s French skiing instructor fell badly after another skier crossed his path as he approached a difficult jump on the piste.

He broke his pelvis and shoulder, fractured his cheekbone and smashed several teeth.

Even though none of the brave trio had any emergency medical training they rushed to the man’s aid.

They found him unconscious and bleeding from his head but did not panic and eventually managed to bring him round.

Noting that the instructor was very cold they endeavoured to keep him warm and awake until help arrived.

An air ambulance helicopter was called in to take the man off the mountain and he was then transported to hospital.

The boys, all fifth-year pupils at Crieff, were part of a 49-strong party on the school’s annual trip to the ski resort.

Yesterday they relived the dramatic moments leading up to the accident.

“The instructor took us to the top of one of the bigger jumps on the piste,” Bruce said.

“He decided to go first to show us what to do—what speed to approach the jump at and that kind of thing.

“However, when he was in mid-air he started falling back and his skis fell off, and when he landed on the ground he was unconscious.”

Bruce said the stricken instructor was out cold for a number of terrifying minutes.

“We had to ski down to him— we did not know what was happening,” he continued.

“He was out for three or four minutes and I just tried to keep him warm with my gloves.”

Despite the shock, all three youngsters kept a cool head, as Jamie explained.

“As soon as we got him conscious I went back up to block off the jump so no one could land on top of him,” he said.

“I had never seen a crash that bad before—we are all regular skiers and go away with the school every year but I have never witnessed anything like that.”

Meanwhile, Alex admitted it was “nice” to be thought of as a hero.

“When the instructor came back round I skied down to the medical centre to raise the alarm,” he revealed.

“When it was all over everyone was asking how we handled the situation and I am glad it all ended up OK.

“Everyone seems to think we are heroes now which is quite nice.

“I was really shocked at the time. I just hope the instructor is all right and maybe we will see him on the slopes again next year.”

Graeme Aitken, a PE teacher at Crieff High, was one of the leaders on the school ski trip.

He last night paid tribute to the trio’s “confidence and maturity” throughout the incident, branding it “remarkable.”

“They acted the way a trained Alpine ski leader would have been expected to react,” he continued.

“It was certainly a bad fall and the boys reacted very well, showing a lot of courage.

“They put their skis in cross fashion into the snow above him as a warning and to protect him from other skiers.

“They comforted him and tried to find out what injuries he had and—after alerting their teachers on a mobile phone— stayed with him until medical assistance arrived. All three pupils displayed first class concern, courage and confidence.”

Christine Ross, head teacher at Crieff, added, “I am very proud that these young people were able to act competently and responsibly in an emergency situation.”