A HEROIC Brit has saved two brothers from a 1,640ft helicopter crash in the Swiss Alps after pushing them off the chopper before jumping out himself.
Edward Courage, the heir to Courage Brewery, miraculously survived after a horror avalanche "consumed" the aircraft and left three others dead.
Courage, in his 70s, was able to stay calm as the Air-Glaciers B3-type helicopter plummeted down the mountain after it slid off a steep cliff on the edge of the Petit Combin mountain.
The avalanche battered much of the Alps causing chaos across the popular ski region.
Courage is believed to have saved the lives of brothers Teddy and Guy Hitchens by pushing them off the helicopter before it crashed.
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Guy ended up "severely beaten up and bed-bound" while Teddy left hospital on crutches.
Courage is undergoing surgery after he broke several bones upon landing, The Telegraph reports.
Pilot Jerome Lovey, fellow skier James Goff and experienced ski guide Adam George died in the disaster.
Locals described the weather conditions at the time of the crash as ideal leaving investigators puzzled as to how the aircraft started its fatal descent off the cliff edge.
It was horrific. We couldn't make out the helicopter, it was consumed in the avalanche.
Skier
But eyewitnesses described the helicopter getting swept up in a volatile avalanche when it started to freefall down the mountain.
Valais regional police force released a statement saying: "Having reached the summit of a mountain culminating at 3,668 metres above sea level, for a reason that the investigation will have to determine, the aircraft slid down the northern slope."
The group had exciting plans to go heli-skiing off the mountain.
Heli-skiing is typically done off-trail and sees advanced level ski-goers expertly navigate downhill after being dropped off at a chosen peak by a helicopter.
Courage spends much of his time in the Swiss Alpine village of Verbier, famous for its slopes.
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In a statement, the brothers' parents, Richard and Maeve Hitchen, said: "Ted was released from hospital today on crutches.
"Guy is still in hospital. No operations currently required but severely beaten up and bed-bound."
They added: "Our thoughts are with the families of James, Adam and the pilot for their appalling losses."
'HORRIFIC' CRASH
Adam George, 45, from New Hampshire, US, had climbed mountains for years and even scaled some of the toughest cliff faces such as El Capitan in California and the north face of the Eiger in Switzerland.
He left behind his wife Caroline George-Ware and their daughter Olivia.
We are deeply shocked by this event. Our thoughts are with the families and relatives of the victims
Air Glaciers
James Goff was the youngest victim and was set to ski down the slopes alongside the Hitchens brothers and Courage.
Pilot Jerome Lovey also lost his life when the avalanche "consumed" the helicopter.
Helicopter owner Air Glaciers told local media: "We are deeply shocked by this event.
"Our thoughts are with the families and relatives of the victims."
A skier who turned up at the top of the mountain shortly after the crash reportedly said: "We landed after them on the south side of Le Petit Combin and saw the avalanche. It was horrific.
"We couldn't make out the helicopter, it was consumed in the avalanche.
"We heard of the crash over the radio. We were advised to get safely off the mountain."
Seven helicopters were involved in the rescue operation.
An investigation has been opened by the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office as well as the Swiss Safety Investigation Service.
The Swiss weather service recorded moderate winds earlier in the morning averaging speeds of 15mph.
