Millions of people enjoy ski slopes and snowy peaks every year, and though it’s one of the largest tourism industries, it does come with accepted risks.
As fun as shredding the powder can be, the only downside is that most avalanches that end up involving people are triggered by the very people on the slopes. It’s a classic scenario of probability, meaning the more you enjoy winter sports, the more likely you are to be involved in an avalanche.
Which brings us to this horrifying point-of-view footage of a trio of snowmobilers getting caught up in what is called a “silent avalanche.” These often occur when the snow is considered to be dry, and can move quickly without much sensory warning.
Three friends were on the snowy mountainside snowmobiling, and their fun day full of winter sports quickly turned into a living nightmare. Mason Zak had his POV camera rolling, capturing the scary moments just before the avalanche swallowed up both he and his friend Jake Dahl.
Zak told the New York Post:
“I was about two to three feet under. I was completely buried, nothing of me was showing. (The avalanche) could’ve hit me at about 50 mph.”
The video cuts to black after the snow rushes over Zak, and all you can hear is the snowmobiler’s labored breathing. He admitted that he wasn’t sure if he was going to make it off the mountain that day.
Luckily for the them, rescue crews somehow found the spot where the avalanche had smothered the snowmobilers, and after spending seven minutes underneath the snow, Zak and his friends were all rescued.
Zak stated that he assumed he only had about five minutes left before he would have succumbed to carbon dioxide poisoning. The way he described some of his moments underneath the snow are terrifying to say the least:
“I don’t think I passed out but I went into some sort of dream. Core memories were going through my head. I pictured my mom, dad, and brother.
I think I had a case of carbon dioxide poisoning when I came out. I had a pretty bad headache. I was just astonished I was getting saved.”
The snowmobilers where certainly lucky to be alive following the disaster, and will undoubtedly make sure they’re more aware of their surroundings next time their up on the mountain.
You can view the first-person video below:
