A young British skier had to be rescued by helicopter after getting stuck in steep terrain during an off-piste run in the Austrian Alps - and will now have to pay the roughly EUR 5,000 bill for the rescue operation.

The 20-year-old holidaymaker sparked an emergency response around midday on 1st April in the popular ski resort of Lech in Vorarlberg, western Austria, after venturing away from marked slopes towards the nearby area of Zug.

According to police, the inexperienced skier strayed into dangerous, rock-strewn terrain and quickly found himself unable to move either forward or back.

With no emergency equipment and avalanche warning level three in place at the time, the Brit was left stranded on the mountainside and forced to call for help.

Rescue teams were dispatched by police helicopter “Libelle”, which managed to locate the stranded tourist before lowering a rope to bring him to safety.

Fortunately, he escaped the ordeal without injury despite the treacherous conditions.

However, his misadventure is expected to come at a steep cost. In Austria, mountain rescues — particularly those involving helicopters — can run to between EUR 3,500 (GBP 3,050) and EUR 5,000 (GBP 4,360) or more.

Under the country’s Security Police Act, authorities are allowed to bill those rescued if they are deemed to have acted with gross negligence — such as ignoring avalanche warnings or heading off-piste without proper equipment.

Helicopter operations alone can cost between EUR 53 (GBP 46) and EUR 85 (GBP 74) per minute, meaning the final bill for the young skier could quickly mount.

Officials have once again warned skiers not to leave secured pistes, especially amid heightened avalanche risks across parts of the region.