A breathing aid for enabling a person buried by an avalanche to breathe has a housing which includes an inhalation channel having a valve situated in the housing, which automatically opens during inhalation and automatically closes during exhalation, and an exhalation channel having a valve situated in the housing, which automatically closes during inhalation and automatically opens during exhalation, wherein the inhalation channel and the exhalation channel open into a mouthpiece situated on the housing, and the housing includes at least one inhalation opening into which the inhalation channel opens, wherein the housing is designed as a handle which can be gripped by a user's hand and brought to the mouth.