WATCH: Moment skier hurls giant snowball from chairlift injuring granddad below- as prankster faces jail
This is the shocking moment a man threw a massive snowball from a ski lift onto the head of a granddad enjoying lunch at a resort in the Alps.
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The unnamed French man, identified only as a Parisian in his twenties, is facing a criminal investigation after hurling the ice rock at the elderly man.
The sickening footage, shared on TikTok, has been viewed more than three million times.
Police have said an assault investigation has been launched after the 61-year-old man was hit in the head while eating lunch with his granddaughter at the Alpe d’Huez resort.
The granddad, who suffered minor injuries, has also pressed criminal charges, as have Société d’Aménagement Touristique d’Alpe d’Huez (Sata), which operates the Clos Giraud ski lift.
In the clip, the laughing man yells “bon appétit” before throwing the snowball at the crowded outdoor seating area.
Fabrice Boutet, managing director of the Sata, told French publication Le Dauphiné Libéré: “We filed a lawsuit straight away. We met the victim, a very nice man who has a flat [near Alpe d’Huez] and who was spending his holidays with his family in the resort. We advised him to file a lawsuit which he did, because I think this type of behaviour must be punished.
“It’s dangerous for other people, like when individuals throw stones from a bridge over a motorway onto the cars below.
“When you come to a mountain, it is for pleasure, not to be bothered by this type of irresponsible person.”
The video has been widely condemned across social media, with over 4,000 comments being left on the clip.
In response to the negative reaction, the poster of the video said: “We were absolutely not aiming for the man’s head.”
The man, who has been interviewed by police, could face more than three years in jail if found guilty of assault.
French state broadcaster spoke to the victim’s granddaughter who described the incident as “shocking.”
She added: “But it could have been worse considering the height from which the very compact snowball was thrown.”