Repent of sin and Trust in Jesus! John 14:6 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Matthew 7:13-23 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. John 3:16-21 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. -----------
Absolutely. Insane how this actually happened. I was stuck in deep snow by myself for around 2hours and had to climb my way out, my phone battery was dead, no one around until I managed to get back up and find a ski path. I feel this dude.
@@thomasbowman3579 Usually you have approximately 20 minutes until you run out of air and drown, so even if someone calls the rescue you have almost zero chance to survive.
When he said “take your time” you can hear a man that accepted his fate. He was ready to die. He expected nothing less. Imagine being buried in 6 feet of snow, alone, with the thought of “I should have never come out here today” and then boom, the light hits you and you see a man with a shovel saying, you’re good bud I got you. Beautiful moment in humanity right here.
also that it appears he fell forward and right into a tree well. which happen because the snow is much less packed and dense underneath foliage, also making voids. scary stuff
The way you can hear the ski dude getting exhausted after some seconds of digging really shows how hard it is to move this fresh fallen snow. Absolutely heroic of him to realize the presence of the snowboarder and also to realize he has no time to waste.
even getting back up to the boarder was probably enough to get the skier a bit gassed and sweatin. People who haven't been in it can't comprehend it. It's like running on the beach but the sand is 4 ft deep and you're on the moon. He worked so hard so fast I'm surprised he didn't make himself sick. True hero. Nowdays too many people look the other way. Lucky he wasn't in a big city stuck in a similar manner, people would have run his pockets and taken pictures with the stuck man, only later finding out that he died, and then laughing about it, that's how cruel and ignorant people are today. Guy was lucky, he really had himself a guardian angel on that mountain.
Well what makes u even more tired is the dump of adrenaline. U wouldn’t truly know what it’s like unless your in this life saving situation. Just telling someone to dig in snow with their hands know what it’s like ain’t enough.
I had to get off piste to avoid a learing skier because she had her sticks sticking behind her sideways, blocking a narrow path. I landed legs first into chest deep powder. It took her boyfriend and me 5 minutes to get me out of there. Can't even imagine the horor when you can't even move a finger
I've done a ton of that sort of riding. TREE WELLS are deadly. You can die in one totally unburied hanging there like a bat, feet board-up. Tends to happen around douglas firs. My suggestions for avoiding them = 1. RIDE WITH A PROPER POWDER BOARD. 160cm broad nose min. I used to ride a Solomon all terrain 164, v stiff for hardcore powder. Don't use some trick board. 167 if you are heavy. 2. GO FAST. You fall in one on a speed check typically. Boy prob clutched at that tree as he speed checked & fell. Go fast &you clear them. Y'all saw how the skiier (decent but not great) had to speed check. Be good. 3. YOU ARE RISKING YOUR LIFE, SO BE AWARE. If anyone is wondering those are peak life moments, so the risk is worth it. PEAK.
To those who don’t know, this is called a “Tree Well.” They form when there’s feet of fresh snow that has fallen. Around trees, because of the branches, the snow falls to the ground slightly more separated, with more air gaps, making it much easier to fall in. Please PLEASE if you ever go out on the slopes after a fresh snow, make sure you have at least 1 or 2 buddies with you and you keep track of each other the whole time. There aren’t enough warnings on the slopes for these things, and they aren’t talked about enough. Many people die every year falling victim to tree wells. Stay safe and buddy up!!!
Wait 2.5 minutes of straight digging is that impressive to you it has to be adrenaline? God damn you must be unfit, especially since its snow, not like its dirt filled with rocks.
Just went snowboarding for the first time a few weeks ago, and it's very tiring! Seeing the guy in the video try to get through the snow itself is exhausting enough. The rush to save another's life helped for sure
May be a stupid question, but is the buried snowboarder able to breathe under that snow? Is the snow porous enough to allow some air in? He did seem out of it for a bit.
@@d.ashgrove1247I don’t understand contrarians like you who will go towards great lengths to believe thinking differently than everyone else makes them smarter 😂
Part of it might be it being a tricky place in general - the skier seemed like he, too fell at that point. Which makes a coincidence a bit more likely.
Same thing happened to me once, last run of the day, sun going down, off trail, last guy in my group at the tail. Crashed into some deep snow, any movement made me sink deeper, so i stayed very still laying there for a bit, noticed one very skinny bare branch hanging into the hole i was in, i prayed and grabbed that skinny little branch. Fully expected the branch to break, but that skinny little bare branch didn’t break and i pulled myself up and out and carefully finished the run. That little skinny branch saved my life i believe.
@@HereComesTheDay I kind of know the feeling, skiing off trail and getting into an accident alone is terrifying, fortunately I never had a moment where I thought I would probably die if a skinny branch would break on me. Safe skiing and thanks for sharing!
I'm good friends with the boarder in this video. He's a wonderful guy. Comes from a mountain sports family and has been on the slopes since childhood. Thank you random skier hero for saving my buddy's life. I'll buy you beers too.
Anyone who's tried to walk through snow that deep knows how exhausting it is. This man needed superhero strength and stamina to get back up that hill and dig the snowboarder out. Absolutely unreal! I'm in awe.
People talk about endurance being so important in marathons, in swimming, in soccer and several other intense sports...... but endurance in back country skiing is more important IMO, it can literally be the difference in life or death. Awe, is the perfect word.
My brother died eight years ago in this exact situation. He only had his 9 year old boy with him, who tried to dig him out. I’m glad this guy made it out alive!
What a horrifying experience for the guy that got buried. I know he at one point felt like it was the end of his life. He must have felt so lucky to have been found.
When I was a kid, before I knew how to swim, I tried to jump into the deep end at a lake thinking I could walk across the bottom. Fortunately for me, at the perfect opportunity some other swimmer in a floaty floated right above me. If they hadn’t been right there right then I probably wouldn’t be alive today. I don’t remember much how it felt then because I was so little, but that gratitude still sticks with me. Whoever you are stranger, thank you so much for saving my life.
I have a dream about this where i get buried alive by my ex friends to prank me and the experience is scary bcus I have death anxiety but I got found and the feeling is weird even tho its a dream lol
The way he thanked him, you can tell he is a man that never asks for anything and here comes a stranger who serves him the "rest of his life" on a silver platter!
My god the chances of him noticing the snowboarder were a million to none. This must have been so fucking scary, he thought he was going to die there alone. Dude is a hero
Reading the interview; the rescuer had just moved across the country and was still getting their bearings in the area. This area was outside the slope course, an area he said he'd never have gone if he didn't by chance make a friend with someone there that day who wanted to go. And as it turns out, the rescuer had paid attention in Avalance Rescue taining courses. The two are now 'lifelong friends' and the rescued man has been making sure the new arrival to his hometown is being well looked after. You can argue about whether it was fate or random chance all day, but let's just agree that we just gotta love stories like this. These moments of humanity, that when the time suddenly comes to step up, there are still good people out there that will exhaust themselves in a frenzy of digging through frigid hell to save a stranger.
@@StarHeaven07 thanks for the info, I was wondering if they’d kept in touch after this. Fate and chance are definitely debatable, but there’s no need to get upset when someone wants to debate it. Comments are meant for discussion
Thanks for the info. And yes, the media and also the internet is so full of cruel news, pain and division that one should regularly bear in mind that there are many, many people out there who just want to get by, who are nice and decent and who try do what is right everyday and of course in an emergency.
@@d.ashgrove1247they were not together. They just happened to take the same path. Still lucky the skier saw him hanging there because he was out of view.
@@wheeliesforthefeelies3995 Apparently he was in there for about 5 minutes. As long as you have room for your lungs to move, you might have a bit of air packed in with you. Extremely lucky timing, regardless.
Theres a bit of room inside a tree well that if dug into properly you can use as an emergency shelter. Falling into them collapses that “roof” of snow around you -Leaving you unable to move but with little air pockets of loose snow. Even with those air pockets. (If you’re lucky to have one.) most say you have less than 10min of air. Fantastic job by the skier!
why don’t these guys have tracking devices on them ? they just let them go out into the nowhere without knowing where ppl are? ppl have no doubt died and never been found
@@2PiNkStEr Lol I have i’m just making the point of how our governments aren’t serious, i’ve been skiing once and i said i will always have 2 gps trackers on me, if i go idle for too long, you know i’m in trouble. the thought of just being stuck in snow with no way out is scary
To say Hero is too little. Imagine being prepared with that gear, thinking it’s unlikely it’ll be used, but “just in case.” Great work being prepared, alert, and selfless. We need more like you.
Heroism requires bravery. This is a decent guy doing a decent thing. "To say Hero is too little" - people on the internet are so dramatic and annoying, ROFL. I'm shocked you didn't say you were in tears too.
Remember that the Lord Jesus Christ died on a cross for you because He loves you so much. He then rose up from the dead three days later The Ten Commandments are called the moral law, (most of us are lying thieving blasphemous adulterer at heart and deserve hell) you and I broke the law, Jesus paid the fine. That’s what happened on that cross. By believing that Jesus died on the cross and rose up from the dead 3 days later and not just confessing your sin, but also repenting of all sin you have done and putting all your trust in Him in prayer, He will grant you everlasting life as a free Gift
I too had a friend that died this way on this same mountain. My other friends dad was the person who found him hours after he didn’t meet up with us at the lower lodge.
Snow unlike water, has air within and between it. Not a lot mind you, it is likely he was hypoxic, but these tree wells form due to fluffy snow falling off of tree branches a bit at a time with essentially larger air gaps, which is why they are so dangerous, since you'll practically fall through as if nothing was there at all. The way these kill you is by either hypoxia killing you after some time, freezing to death after some time (assuming you're properly geared of course), or worst of all, it continues to snow and packs you in.
You can hear the panic start to set in as he realises just what has happened, and how his breath quickens as he fights his lungs to push himself so that the other man can take a breath like he so desperately wants to. This is just, it's amazing. Really, peak humanity
exactly he's getting exhausted digging but powers through knowing he cant stop til he reaches his face. Just getting that short 6 feet from where he 1st saw the board and then up to the board to begin digging is a mass effort as anyone knows thats beeen in these wicked new snow conditions.
@@davidtiessen7713SERIOUSLY! I I remember getting stuck on a closed run at a resort. Fell into the snow chest deep and the entire run was like that. I was stuck with a buddy and we took AT LEAST 2hrs trying to “sled” down with our snowboards. So many times I felt like just giving up and accepting that this is it, but we eventually made it down. By the time we got to the main lodge, the last of the guests were leaving (30min-1hr after the slopes ALL closed) One of the scariest experiences of my life.
Something people may not realize is just how INCREDIBLY difficult it is to maneuver in that kind of deep snow. Every step is absolutely exhausting in those conditions. Kudos to the rescuer for having the strength to do it.
It might have just happened but it's possible for a person to freeze to the point of death but the body takes on a kind of hibernation. I'm a Medical Sergeant for SAR and when training is drilled in "You're not dead until you're warm and dead"
No lie there. I skied in deep powder at Alta for the first time about 15 years ago. 18-24 inches of the light and fluffy stuff. Last run of the day had a release and went 15 feet down a steep run. Twenty minutes of effort later I was no closer to my erstwhile ski than when I started and completely winded (and I was running marathons at the time). Luckily another skier came along and was able to grab it and get it down to me. This guy was a total boss getting back up to the boarder.
If you are in this kind of situation, the last thing you are worried about are the tempratures. You develope so much adrenaline due to the fact that you have to act quickly in this do or die situation. The life of a human lies in your hands. Can you imagine what would happen to you if you couldnt get him out alive. You would have trauma for the rest of your life. Not because it is your fault, but because your mind will tell you what you could have done differently and that feeling of "what if" never leaves you. Believe me, i were in some kind of do or die situations and the cold is secondry in this sitation.
@@WarrenPuffet I'm aware, just tossed it out there. Hand granade. Always found it astonishing when we come across a recently frozen animal and *occasionally* able to bring it back with little to no negative effects. One of us will usually take it home to be sure but it's interesting. Did my training in The Carpathian Mountains and found a massive frozen bat, my instructor helped me save it. That was the funniest and most protective animal I've ever seen. Lost a little foot and primary 'toe' from frostbite so he hung wrong side up.
This was Mt Baker last year. The boarders partners had already went down leaving their buddy up there prob unaware he had fallen in a tree well. From the stories I've heard these two are now good friends are ride together often. This is a great reminder, always ride trees with a partner and never let them out of your sight.
My brother died this way, separated from his partner that day and it was too late when ski patrol found him. What an incredible rescue this was, i will always be grateful for those who risk life and limb to help another. Edit: Thank you all for the kind comments expressing condolences for my loss. It's been eleven years but still stings like it was yesterday. i considered siting the details of my late brother's incident to refute any more claims of "virtue signaling" (honestly-i don't even know what that is) or that i'm making this up for some reason...but that information is sacred to me as he was my older brother, best friend and mentor, and i won't try and prove myself. This particular story is about the consequences of caring about another human enough to help, that is what we should remember.
I found this very powerful and emotional. The boarder had obviously started to accept what he thought was his fate, hence the eerie calmness. The rescuer was so unflustered and said all of the right things - absolute respect to him, he saved a life 😮
@@ahabduennschitz7670 if passing out it would be due to the lack of oxygen since he was buried in snow. The average human can hold their breath successfully around 3 minutes before passing out. He would need to be upside down for around 9 minutes before he would pass out.
Holy shit. This guy is literally a hero. Not gonna lie watching the guys face come through the snow and hearing him , knowing this guy is saving his life made this grown man tear up..
I sobbed. I've gotten sucked into tree wells before. They trap you. Then with this much powder on top. This could've been a bad situation. What excellent timing this man has. ❤
Exactly!! He didn’t even care if I’d take that guy an hour to shovel him out because he already accepted his fate. But when he finally got some oxygen in his system he was no longer panicking but more relaxed and reassured that today wasn’t his last day
Funny. I saw it more as he was extremely nonchalantly given the situation. A person grateful to be saved would more than let you know with specific words
This was nothing short of a miracle. Most people on that mountain take the same path. This guy was out of bounds in the trees and still managed to find him. One slight turn a different direction that guys still up there.
I thought the same. You can see the skier looked eyed the route to his left and then decided to squeeze through that tiny gap in the trees. What are the odds of him just going through that little space!!! Clearly not the snowboarders time to go!!😅
The fact that he was just a few meters away of his partner and ended up ocasionally saving this dude, is a pratical miracle, he could just looked to the other side and never found that guy
Oop, careful. Apparently someone's triggered by the fact I said 'god' (lower case g) in my comment, so he might come to yours cuz you used the word 'miracle'
He was immensely lucky. My cousin died in the same way at Northstar Tahoe a few years back. He'd been there countless times before, and had decades of experience. But he went up on his own, because no one else could take the time off. He died alone, buried headfirst in the snow, and wasn't found until 3 days later. Be careful when you're out on the slopes, folks. Because Mother Nature doesn't care how experienced you are, and sometimes the worst case scenario does happen. Edit: Thanks for all the kind words and condolences, folks. Don't make the same mistake he did, and take care of yourselves out there!
@@TheBold1994 Thank you. And yeah, he did. I still don't understand how that happened, as he'd been there so many times before. He should've known better. The only factor I can think of is that there was 8 ft of fresh snow that morning, and maybe the change in terrain made him misunderstand where the route was.
@@Polymathically He probably got that urge to shred some fresh powder off the track. Been there done that and almost died. Learnt my lesson twice and never again. First time, I almost went down an iced over water fall and the second time my car keys ended up falling out my pocket and luckily a skier was following me and managed to grab them and meet me at my car as I realized I had lost them
For all we know his buddy was just 30 seconds ahead of him. I've lost track of buddies in those conditions, and I was left just praying I had missed them go ahead of me, and not ended up upended in a tree well. Luck is essential in these situations.
@@scuffedclips1 I guess if always having your camera on while you're on the slopes like most intermediate to expert skiers/boarders counts as just happened to be filming then that's true.
@@kellypatterson4412 he could have also just been hyped to know he’s not gonna die so he was like “I’m good bro. A moment ago I was gonna die, now I’ve actually got time” lol
That guy had a really bad time and got really lucky the skier came across him like that. I fell down into a buried tree similarly while boarding at Mt Baldy and was so stuck it took me over a half hour of exhausting digging to get myself out. Fortunately for me, I was not upside down like that guy or I would likely not be here to tell the tale. Good man that skier who saved him. Major props.
Francis Zuber is the name of the rescuer. The news report credits Zuber and his avalanche-rescue training for saving snowboarder Ian Steger's life. I'm not a skier, and until now I've never really appreciated just how dangerous those tree wells are. Well done, Francis Zuber!
Yes. I think most of us, being in situation like this, would try to help. You won't leave a snowboard in the snow and just skie away. But not all of us would have the skills and nerve for the rescue. For example, he took of the skies but immediately made some rampart with them, to serve as a lifesaver in case he would fall into some void below himself; he had not waisted precious time for assembling the shovel, but dug with his hands. And had the shovel in the backpack, I don't think everyone does this. Wonderful sample of responsibility, for himself and other people. Really very, very well done!
@@ubangis1 Yep he dug to the face first to allow him to breathe, using his hands in order to not hurt him with the shovel until he could have a better understanding of how the body is positioned so he could shovel safely . Very well done indeed.
@@rock-uu7qr ya you would think it's common sense to dig with your hands to find his head... Would some moron really start sticking a shovel in there without knowing where the dudes face is?
Dude isn’t just lucky that someone noticed it. He’s lucky it was someone with enough cardiovascular fitness to dig him out. That would be unbelievably difficult to do in the time period he did it in. You can tell he keeps wanting to take a second to catch his breath and then realizing how grave this is and curses instead of breathing and goes right back at digging super hard. Honestly a feat in endurance this video. Amazing stuff
IT'S HARD! people do not realize how much the winter affects the body until it hits them So much energy used in such little time Then add on top the bulky gear and snow that's trying to swallow you You're basically already using so much power to just get around When it's cold out like that It's an absolute beast to go up against So always stay hydrated and well fed in the cold time of the year And be easy on yourself
@@Crude.Critter I’m sober in the winter to focus on riding and safety in the bc. Well worth it. Then spring time comes and it’s party time, it’s a fun lifestyle
@@eriksportsyeah, it's not like people don't shovel their driveway out at home. People that live in the snowy regions get a lot more exercise than people in the all summer south!
Have you guys ever met a snowboarder? They are incredibly relaxed. There’s a reason they call them the surfers of the slopes. They also accept that death and injury are pretty common, similar to motorcycle bikers. Makes for a very chill combination!!
@@Graymenn ok not hundreds a winter, but with even 10-15 across the world every winter, there have been hundreds just since 2000; so the original comment you were replying to was 100 percent accurate.
Wow this man is a hero. This is why skiiers and snowboarders should always travel in pairs at the very least. Safety in numbers really counts. Just wow my heart hurt for this snowboarder.
@naydoorf They're not "spouting bullshit" they're saying you should always have someone nearby while doing this stuff. You're being a bitch for no reason
yup . as an avid skiieer i would say that skiier actually took many not normal paths to happen to spot him .. why ? he was led to him ? i think so .. all i can say .. a miracle . someone was watching out for that young man
For those of you unfamiliar with skiing or snowboarding, situations like these are a lot more common than one might think. The snowboarder fell into what's called a tree well. When snow falls, it doesn't collect as thick in the areas beneath the branches of fir trees, creating a loose patch of powder, air, and branches. They can be difficult to spot and very easy to fall into, and when you fall into them, the snow caves in around you and it can be literally impossible to get out, leaving you to suffocate. My dad fell into one while skiing and he would have died if his buddy hadn't pulled him out (which was very difficult according to him) and in my opinion it's one of the worst ways to die
@@darkflyper9536to add to what Mike stated, if you stay on the slope it won't happen to you. And to go off-slope you'd have to be fairly experienced, you don't go off-slope on your first day skiing 😉 So, if you want to try it, have a go.
My brother fell into one snowboarding in Utah. By himself, like the guy in the video, which wasn't too smart. Somehow my bro righted himself and managed to get out. He thought that he was a goner too. The risks of hitting the glades, lady bois....
I was snowboarding on mount hood 15 years ago or so…and while we were there someone died in a lift well. The same thing happened at the base of one of the post for the lift about halfway up the mountain. It is insane how dangerous skiing and snowboarding can be if you aren’t taught the dangers of the mountain. This is an incredible video if you ask me. It was not his time to go.
@@MsJuvalnot true….I just commented on someone else’s comment before I saw this but someone died at Mt Hood in a lift well right on the trail. Yes it was dumping snow and there was a lot of powder but it was still on the trail. Scary shit.
Ive been in a similar situation snowboarding the mountains of british columbia and i can honestly say i felt that mans relief when the skiier exposed his face and he could take his first non laboured breath in im guessing several minutes
I think he was essentially saying "Ok I can breathe now, so slow down, calm down and focus as you continue digging and please don't rebury me or get yourself buried."
The fact that you were on that line and went over the board is a complete miracle! The rest of what you did was amazing as well. Can’t imagine how long he was there!
When the powder is that deep it is easier and faster to follow in someones tracks so the odds were not totally against him. But still not totally for him and it was some kind of blessing.
I believe God has a plan for all of us. And I witnessed a miracle in 2020 when F1 when Roman Grosjean crashed in to the barrier guardrail and blew up in to a ball of flames. Go Google that and you tell me he didn't have an angel with him to protect him, and help him as he was trapped in that burning car. I have personally watched motorsports accident that took the life of drivers that didn't look half as bad as this and I knew this was bad. God intervenes from time to time. These are the miracles people fail to see.
@@GLOBAL-INTIFADA the snow is very soft and sometimes very far down to the hard pack. Under trees tend to be big wells which you can kinda fall into. You wouldn’t believe how soft the snow is until you get stuck in it. I’ve been stuck up to my waist with a snowboard on, it took me so long to free myself. Then you move and just sink again, it’s brutal!
@@sp4nrs "QUICK SNOW " ? Yeah, thanks for what you explained ... you can kinda see it looks like he took a head first dive next to a tree... ///suppose the evergreens may heat from the sun and create these pockets?/// EDIT, Wiki: TREE WELL : A tree well, also known as a SPRUCE TRAP, is the space around a tree under its branches that does not get the same amount of snow as the surrounding open space. This creates a void or area of loose snow below the branches and around the trunk that is dangerous to any hikers, snowshoers, skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers who fall into them. If someone lands in such a well, often as a result of a fall, it can be too deep for them to climb up the surrounding loose snow before they are buried. Making the situation more dangerous, they often fall into the well head-first and as the result of an accident which could leave them injured or unconscious.
Probably one of the most intense real videos I've seen in some time. A lot of it is realizing how alone that snow border must have felt prior to being rescued. Thank God this skier was observant, prepared and intelligent in his approach.
@@kebub1 well winning the lottery is possible. If youve never had a moment where you had a crazy lucky, one in a lifetime moment, i wonder if you need to get out more. Ive had one in a lifetime experiences that people wouldnt have believed if there werent witnesses or cameras. Lucky one in a lifetime coincidences happen everyday all the time around the world
If you never skid back country in this much snow you cannot comprehend how hard it is to move just a few feet uphill. This skier was in incredible shape and had some serious skill.
Back in the early 2000s a friend rode off a railroad grade at night on a snowmobile in the northern WIsconsin lake effect zone from lake Superior. Yes he was drunk and it was 2:30am so no other traffic on the trail. With 240 inches of snow that season so far (it was late January) stepping off the grade sank you to your crotch, so the only way to get to him was to belly crawl. He was not that far off the grade but it took him hitting the gas on the snowmobile and 2 big guys (me and a 3rd friend) 35 minutes to get that sled back onto the grade. Yes we had to rest a bit before moving on. So yeah that dig by the skier was quite impressive.
One of my best days riding was being taken up a mountain in a snowcat and riding a birch wood after a meter of snow. Sublime with the sun through the trees but man I took a branch in the face and ended up on my back and I simply couldn't push myself back up because the snow was that deep. Luckily there was a team of us. I was trying to starfish to a tree trunk at the amusement of my buddies but managed to get my board off. My heart was bursting through my mouth. Couldn't get my board back on without help. That first beer at the end of the day was nectar.
I completely agree. This skier was nothing short of a guardian angel sent to this snowboarder. I don’t even mean in like a religious sense, but the odds that a well prepared skier runs into someone while they’re still alive is incredible
For those who have never skiied before, just doing that movement, 0:35, of shuffling your skis back and forth, trying to go up a slope in all that loose snow is incredibly exhausting. You can hear the man breathing heavily while doing it and then to also dig that man out of the snow is truly a Herculean effort. God bless this man for saving this snowboarder.
people seem to forget all of this exercise on top of that is at high altitude with thin air. its like wearing a mask basically while trying to run sprints
I think he initially thought the snowboarder was just crashed on of the snow. When he realised the guy was fully burried that’s when he realised he was in a race against time. What a frightening experience for both of them! At the same time there is nothing more heartwarming than seeing humans help each other out.
Agree with everything you said except I think he understood the situation the moment he passed him. You may know this already but it is a common danger in that environment called a tree well. The skier is just exhausted from spending his strength to climb up to the boarder. I had to replay the video to see if he was the guy in front of him but he was not. It is a miracle he was seen by the skier.
Amazing to see the rescuer do everything right. Approached carefully, assesed the situation and dug straight for the mans face. Kept him calm and then continued to free him. Bravo sir. And props to the snowboarder for maintaining a cool head. No pun intended.
And you could tell how relieved the rescuer was at hearing the rescued’s voice - his strong “I’m good”. It’s heartwarming (no pun intended either) to see how they sort of reassured each other by being calm and controlled
This deserves a spotlight, I was going to comment the same thing. It's hard to overstate how great a job he did taking his time and insuring his own safety first as he approached calmly. This could've been much worse, big kudos to him.
I can't say anything that already hasn't been said about both of these guys. Chilling and heartbreaking to watch, but the outcome was as good as it gets. Be kind to yourself folks. We only have a finite amount of time here.
Can you imagine the relief the guy felt when he felt someone digging him out? The unbelievable luck that he was found in time is truly a miracle. Thank God & the skier.
I believe the boarder had come to terms with this being his last moments on this earth. He had zero panic, was extremely calm and almost motionless. I think the realization he had of his situation had really set in. Imagine being in his position, coming to terms with such a scenario and then miraculously a skier litteraly runs overtop you in such a wide and random spot. That skier was given a push in the right direction by God to help this poor boarder.
It's incredible that the skier took the same path as the snowboarder and was able to see him, stop and help him all in time for it to not be fatal.. it is Literally insane.. good for them. What an incredible moment
@@graveyardduck7017 shovel is a mandatory piece of equipment when going off-piste, I don't understand how people can think it's a matter of coincidence.
If you’re off-piste/backcountry skiing, you better damn well have a shovel. This guy is lucky, yeah, but his rescuers having a shovel should be considered normal.
10/10 example of being a SMART, and CARING human being* Human beings can be the complete polar opposite as well, actually more so, this is kind of a rare human being, sadly.
Remember that the Lord Jesus Christ died on a cross for you because He loves you so much. He then rose up from the dead three days later The Ten Commandments are called the moral law, (most of us are lying thieving blasphemous adulterer at heart and deserve hell) you and I broke the law, Jesus paid the fine. That’s what happened on that cross. By believing that Jesus died on the cross and rose up from the dead 3 days later and not just confessing your sin, but also repenting of all sin you have done and putting all your trust in Him in prayer, He will grant you everlasting life as a free Gift
@@scaereyguy in every other commentsection you find those christ-fanatics, that preach something about christ. Just ignore or report them. Many people believe in something, but only those fanatics are using every chance they get to preach.
Kind of a wholesome moment, telling him "we're both gonna just catch our breath for a second". Terrifying situation, but you both handled it really well and didn't panic. Good on both of you, and stay safe out there
Well I wouldn’t say there was no panic You can hear the guys heartbeat and the adrenaline filling up which means he’s panicking to a extent He’s just not letting it consume and overtake his ability to think clearly of what to do and how to react And the guy under the snow I’m sure he’s panicking but he’s also buried headfirst in thick fresh fallen powder snow which might as well be concrete to him so despite panicking and probably attempting to flail and get out there was about butt fuck all he could do with that panic once your hear him gulp in a few breaths of air and respond though you can tell he thought he was dead
Honestly that line was incredibly comforting. He made it look like he had it under control, which he did, but that reassurance is still nice to feel when you're in a situation like this.
He said that because he could breathe and was generally okay for the moment.. enough for the rescuer to catch his breath. Don’t want the rescuer to pass out or have a heart attack! Then they will both be in trouble.
I'm thinking he knew that guy was his only friend in the world at that moment and he wanted to make sure he was happy, healthy, and not gonna wear himself out
I think he was the guy right in front of him at the beginning of the clip, I don't think he was there long but he definitely thought he was fucked. Terrifying.
He probably hadn’t accepted his fate, most likely just did not have the capacity to struggle. He was probably hypothermic and disoriented from it, so he wasn’t able to react as much.
@@Pewpewpewdamnnnnnhegotshot How would he go hypothermic so quickly while geared up and feeling adrenaline? He would likely be suffocating, not feeling the effects of a low core body temp.
100% guarantee same thing happened to the dude that rescued him so he started carrying small pack in case it happened again - also he was using a lot of words that first responders do and was extra smart about how to use his poles flat to gain climb traction and skis to brace up the fluffy stuff so he could have a platform to dig down from. If he could have walked to him, he would have - but it was so loose in the cluster of tree wells that he would have either been buried on the way and/or fell in on the original victim.
@@dma93-ch your breath initially melts the snow around your mouth giving you some time to breathe, it then starts to form an ice wall/pocket that won’t melt and you will suffocate very shortly after.
@jacksprrow - No, it's not. That *_skier_* who happened to be _following_ him was *_close enough_* and he noticed the *snowboard* as he skied over it. He was *prepared* and _carried a shovel_ for this purpose, and he was *_calm_* and *_capable_* in rescuing the boarder. No "sky-daddy" needed.
“Take your time man” I know he’s probably not 100% lucid from the cold and lack of oxygen, but I think this gives serious insight into who the snow boarder is as a person. Even when still mostly buried and barely escaping certain death, he still manages to be polite and kind to his savior. And that skier, what an absolute hero. Got my adrenaline going watching him dig for that poor guy, you could tell he was absolutely determined to rescue this dude no matter what. I’m proud to call both of these gentlemen fellow Americans.
He's probably terrified of the snow collapsing in again, he knows he's breathing and going to be ok and just doesn't want to get caved in on again, it must be a terrifying position.
This seems particularly well designed shovel, clips together no problem with gloves on, nice bright colour so you don't lose sight and can indicate your position with it to choper/Drone, all nicely incorporated into the backpack.
Amazing how he took the time to tell the buried snowboarder what's going on, and that he's just taking a breath and that he's not going to leave him. Very composed too. Professional
@@Post98w he could have not said anything at all and it wouldn’t have mattered lol. Barely even commendable. It’s amazing he saved his life lol. That’s the crazy part.
for anyone who's never been in snow this deep, i cannot possibly describe the exhaustion you build up walking- digging- moving around. one of the first times I could ever imagine myself "giving up and dying" was in powder like this. you have to be so careful with how you move.
100%. Having done a my fair share of off piste i can say that theres nothing like it. Ive fallen a few times but at worst on my stomach or back, and even then its hard to get back up. The snow swallows yur body, weighs yu down, when yu try to push against it yur arm/ leg just goes further in making it even worse. Not to mention as a snowboarder yur feet are bound up in parallel with a massive anchor holding them together. Being upside-down like he was with yur arms unable to unlatch yur board is the same as being in a straight jacket with constant pressure on every part of yur body. He absolutely would have died if nobody had found him.
Yeah I remember getting stuck in powder face up with my board stuck. Took nearly every ounce of energy I had to get out. After I made it back down the hill, I was done, literally done. Was done for the day and done snowboarding.
Yeah it's nothing to play around with, I would never board alone in this stuff. Even on those perfect days where I know it's going to be heaven, if I don't have at least one person with me, I don't go into these areas. I've been stuck before I just can't describe the relief when I was finally able to reach my bindings and was able to start the process of digging myself out. I was so exhausted from trying for my bindings I was on the verge of throwing up. Later that night I broke down and had a panic attack.
Dude you left us hanging, really wanted to see that guy up out of the snow but I’m sure saving his life was much more important than a video clip. Thanks for just being aware and helping a fellow out of a dangerous situation
This is literally one of the most amazing videos online, period. The fact he took that dlecific route through those trees exactly where the guy was buried, a miracle. The fact there was just enough room for his feet and snowboard to be sticking out, a miracle. I really wish he could've kept recording to see the look on the other mans face when he gets pulled out. I would imagine he would have been crying in absolute relief and probably owed his life to his savior. Absolutely 100% a miracle.
Me too. The blankets gettin too tight when my dog lays on 'em fucks me up even. I couldn't imagine being in this situation. Well, I imagine a heart attack would go along with it.
The snowboarders totally relaxed “I’m good” with just his arm, face, hand, and legs exposed made me chuckle. So happy to breath and know that he’ll be free soon
I had to hold back tears, man imagine how long it would have taken for this poor man to die if he had not been found by this hero. I'm so glad there are people like this still on the planet.
This is literally winning the lottery of life. One in a million chance, 100% dead otherwise. Chilling and inspiring at the same time. Props to the skier, he clearly knew what he was doing.
Thing is, you leave a very visible path behind you as you sky. A lot of people will follow these sky paths because it's safer than just go at it on your own. So it's not really that lucky. But it's lucky nonetheless that there's someone who chose his path in time.
The fact that the skier saw him was insane! It blows my mind how if things did not happen exactly how they did the snowboarder would have likely died. The fact that he just happen to fall in the exact location for him to see his snowboard is kinda a miracle. This was amazing to see ❤
Yeah very lucky that he picked that line. The other skier who was presumably skiing with took a completely different line and would probably have been way too far down the mountain to be able to help in time. Also lucky that the skier fell in that spot and then picked a line which went right over the snowboard.
@@thirstonhowellthebird Yeah such a great guy, almost killing someone buried in snow but saving him close to his death, what a nice god. I bet the guy who almost died was thrilled by god's funny games. Sarcasm
The fact the skier stumbled upon the snowboarder is nothing short of a miracle.
Such a great lad.
Oop, careful. Apparently someone's triggered by the fact I said 'god' in my comment, so he might come to yours cuz you used the word 'miracle'
Repent of sin and Trust in Jesus!
John 14:6
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Matthew 7:13-23
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
John 3:16-21
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
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@@JustAJinx-ci6hg😂😂😂
Complete miracle. Somebody lifted up a prayer his behind.
Yes
One of the luckiest dude on the planet. Just the fact someone took the same path and noticed him and saved him in time. Wow. He was 99.99% a goner.
That was 100% a dead man, you can hear it in his voice, he had accepted death, so scary.. glad hes okay
Absolutely. Insane how this actually happened. I was stuck in deep snow by myself for around 2hours and had to climb my way out, my phone battery was dead, no one around until I managed to get back up and find a ski path. I feel this dude.
@@chrisclayton2907 Could you even breath? This dude looked like he would have passed out in a couple minutes
These extremist idiots never cease to amaze me with their recklessness and stupidity.
@@thomasbowman3579 Usually you have approximately 20 minutes until you run out of air and drown, so even if someone calls the rescue you have almost zero chance to survive.
When he said “take your time” you can hear a man that accepted his fate. He was ready to die. He expected nothing less. Imagine being buried in 6 feet of snow, alone, with the thought of “I should have never come out here today” and then boom, the light hits you and you see a man with a shovel saying, you’re good bud I got you. Beautiful moment in humanity right here.
Exactly, his ego completely died.
New Marvel Super Hero. Shovel Man.
He didnt appear with the shovel so your comment is factually incorrect.
@@reins8053😂
Homer come to sleep!
No, March I can‘t, there is someone on the internet, who is not right 🤣😂
Snowboarder went back to the lodge and had the most surreal, best tasting cup of coffee of his life.
He might have had a hot chocolate., perhaps with mini marshmallows 🎉
@@user-ux4ft4qw6pwho puts marshmallows in hot chocolate
@@ReisKelty you don't put Marshmallow in your Hot Chocolate ? You are missing out.
@@vivekpluch yes I know I’m weird but this winter I’ll try it
@@ReisKeltythey make instant hit chocolate that comes with mini marshmallows
Never has a snowboarder been happier to see a skier. Humans are amazing.
Haha ur 100% right
Lmao! Well put. 😂
Bruh I was crying at this beautiful bit of humanity and you had to RUIN it with the most brutal honesty I've ever read 😂😂😂
So amazing that fluffy snow almost killed one… dumb statement.
@@Trigger200284 what do you mean
People who never faced deep fresh snow cannot understand how insanely grueling it is to move and dig in such condition.
The skier is truly a great man
Especially at a high elevation.
It’s cold and it gets hot at the same time. Worst than any cardio workout
also that it appears he fell forward and right into a tree well. which happen because the snow is much less packed and dense underneath foliage, also making voids. scary stuff
Would he be able to breath?
@Drew Hipsley fall into tree well hit the tree and all the snow on the tree falls onto you
The way you can hear the ski dude getting exhausted after some seconds of digging really shows how hard it is to move this fresh fallen snow. Absolutely heroic of him to realize the presence of the snowboarder and also to realize he has no time to waste.
even getting back up to the boarder was probably enough to get the skier a bit gassed and sweatin. People who haven't been in it can't comprehend it. It's like running on the beach but the sand is 4 ft deep and you're on the moon. He worked so hard so fast I'm surprised he didn't make himself sick. True hero. Nowdays too many people look the other way. Lucky he wasn't in a big city stuck in a similar manner, people would have run his pockets and taken pictures with the stuck man, only later finding out that he died, and then laughing about it, that's how cruel and ignorant people are today. Guy was lucky, he really had himself a guardian angel on that mountain.
@@penguinjay humanity has its vile moments but also its grand moments
Well what makes u even more tired is the dump of adrenaline. U wouldn’t truly know what it’s like unless your in this life saving situation. Just telling someone to dig in snow with their hands know what it’s like ain’t enough.
I had to get off piste to avoid a learing skier because she had her sticks sticking behind her sideways, blocking a narrow path. I landed legs first into chest deep powder. It took her boyfriend and me 5 minutes to get me out of there. Can't even imagine the horor when you can't even move a finger
@@penguinjaybro lmao what the hell was that last part you wrote 😂
The fact that he had a shovel and saw him in all of that space is a miracle
When skiing back country you should always have a shovel. the guy buried probably has a shovel too.
@@spreadneck2063 Oh mb then
I've done a ton of that sort of riding. TREE WELLS are deadly. You can die in one totally unburied hanging there like a bat, feet board-up. Tends to happen around douglas firs. My suggestions for avoiding them
=
1. RIDE WITH A PROPER POWDER BOARD. 160cm broad nose min. I used to ride a Solomon all terrain 164, v stiff for hardcore powder. Don't use some trick board. 167 if you are heavy.
2. GO FAST. You fall in one on a speed check typically. Boy prob clutched at that tree as he speed checked & fell. Go fast &you clear them. Y'all saw how the skiier (decent but not great) had to speed check. Be good.
3. YOU ARE RISKING YOUR LIFE, SO BE AWARE. If anyone is wondering those are peak life moments, so the risk is worth it. PEAK.
@@spreadneck2063 Yeah that's basic kit, that and a beacon.
His skis even got stuck in the snow just before he saw his board , otherwise possibly wouldn’t have. Amazing rescue.
To those who don’t know, this is called a “Tree Well.” They form when there’s feet of fresh snow that has fallen. Around trees, because of the branches, the snow falls to the ground slightly more separated, with more air gaps, making it much easier to fall in. Please PLEASE if you ever go out on the slopes after a fresh snow, make sure you have at least 1 or 2 buddies with you and you keep track of each other the whole time. There aren’t enough warnings on the slopes for these things, and they aren’t talked about enough. Many people die every year falling victim to tree wells. Stay safe and buddy up!!!
Wow, didn't know, thank you!
Wow. But I think I’ll just not snowboard and be okay with that.
I learned about these about a year ago and had a new fear unlocked- I don’t even do winter sports.
Friends dad died skiing alone because he fell into one. They're scary asf
@@meredithjohnson2843Same, my spidey senses go off from stuff like this.
I'm sure they're good friends now. Bless that man for helping a stranger.
99likes no comments? I gotcha
100th like STAY SAFE😘💪🙏✌️
no npc theyre not friends
@@spiderciamovies9992 how'd u know that then
That was a very hard task that I wasn't sure he could pull off
@@spiderciamovies9992 They're good friends now. They appear in a interview
That’s intense. 2.5 minutes of straight adrenaline and digging to save this guy’s life. Mad props to you sir.
they need better smart technology and it shows that we need eachother
Wait 2.5 minutes of straight digging is that impressive to you it has to be adrenaline? God damn you must be unfit, especially since its snow, not like its dirt filled with rocks.
Just went snowboarding for the first time a few weeks ago, and it's very tiring! Seeing the guy in the video try to get through the snow itself is exhausting enough. The rush to save another's life helped for sure
And at altitude too, extra exhausting
May be a stupid question, but is the buried snowboarder able to breathe under that snow?
Is the snow porous enough to allow some air in?
He did seem out of it for a bit.
Went up the mountain a skier and came down a hero with a friend for life.
Watched the video several times, the boarder was in front of the skier. They were together.
@@d.ashgrove1247I don’t understand contrarians like you who will go towards great lengths to believe thinking differently than everyone else makes them smarter 😂
@@d.ashgrove1247that was another skier, not a snowboarder lol
WOW. The snowboarder is INSANELY LUCKY this skier was not only skiing there but managed to notice him. It is great to see, bless them both.
Part of it might be it being a tricky place in general - the skier seemed like he, too fell at that point.
Which makes a coincidence a bit more likely.
@@JariJuslin yes, but if you take that particular route, the are many different possible routes. Good thing they decided to go that way!
Same thing happened to me once, last run of the day, sun going down, off trail, last guy in my group at the tail. Crashed into some deep snow, any movement made me sink deeper, so i stayed very still laying there for a bit, noticed one very skinny bare branch hanging into the hole i was in, i prayed and grabbed that skinny little branch. Fully expected the branch to break, but that skinny little bare branch didn’t break and i pulled myself up and out and carefully finished the run. That little skinny branch saved my life i believe.
@@HereComesTheDay I kind of know the feeling, skiing off trail and getting into an accident alone is terrifying, fortunately I never had a moment where I thought I would probably die if a skinny branch would break on me. Safe skiing and thanks for sharing!
Never go out alone !
I'm good friends with the boarder in this video. He's a wonderful guy. Comes from a mountain sports family and has been on the slopes since childhood. Thank you random skier hero for saving my buddy's life. I'll buy you beers too.
is he ok? How long was he in the ditch before the skier arrived? I don't think it can be more than a couple of minutes...
@@koscraftbuilds4937 I was also wondering how long he was under the snow. What a terrifying experience regardless of how long he was under the snow
💙💙
Hope everything turned out without underlying problems
@@koscraftbuilds4937 yeah he's good. He was stuck their for about 5 mins. You can find a clip on here of the interview they did with the local news.
Anyone who's tried to walk through snow that deep knows how exhausting it is. This man needed superhero strength and stamina to get back up that hill and dig the snowboarder out. Absolutely unreal! I'm in awe.
Once that adrenaline kicks in you can really make stuff happen
Not only the deep snow but thin air from high elevation multiplies the struggle.
@@captainzarlon Very true. This was an amazing rescue!
@@michaelsethcudd he is literally out doing actual rescuers…. He literally got right to business👌🏽😊
People talk about endurance being so important in marathons, in swimming, in soccer and several other intense sports...... but endurance in back country skiing is more important IMO, it can literally be the difference in life or death.
Awe, is the perfect word.
My brother died eight years ago in this exact situation. He only had his 9 year old boy with him, who tried to dig him out. I’m glad this guy made it out alive!
Dang I feel bad
Sorry for your loss and your nephew’s loss 😢
God I can’t imagine that little boy. Or the father knowing that his son is the last thing he’ll ever see.
My heart goes out to you and your family. Love and prayers 🙏 ❤
That is so traumatizing for his kid.
What a horrifying experience for the guy that got buried. I know he at one point felt like it was the end of his life. He must have felt so lucky to have been found.
When I was a kid, before I knew how to swim, I tried to jump into the deep end at a lake thinking I could walk across the bottom. Fortunately for me, at the perfect opportunity some other swimmer in a floaty floated right above me. If they hadn’t been right there right then I probably wouldn’t be alive today. I don’t remember much how it felt then because I was so little, but that gratitude still sticks with me. Whoever you are stranger, thank you so much for saving my life.
I have a dream about this where i get buried alive by my ex friends to prank me and the experience is scary bcus I have death anxiety but I got found and the feeling is weird even tho its a dream lol
@Larry bro wtf 😂😂 the snow is literally settled it’s clear the guys been there for a bit. Def not fake.
@@TITIKMAN-rz6qd My guy, everyone has death anxiety.
maybe
The way he thanked him, you can tell he is a man that never asks for anything and here comes a stranger who serves him the "rest of his life" on a silver platter!
you can tell by the way he says “i’m good” while upside down buried in snow that he never complains about anything
100 %
@@CaptLuser Not just "I'm good" but "take your time", like he actually cares for the well-being of the person saving him. Good man.
well said!
The way he thanked him you can tell he’s a lefty and eats his eggs sunny side up with cheese!
My god the chances of him noticing the snowboarder were a million to none.
This must have been so fucking scary, he thought he was going to die there alone.
Dude is a hero
Reading the interview; the rescuer had just moved across the country and was still getting their bearings in the area. This area was outside the slope course, an area he said he'd never have gone if he didn't by chance make a friend with someone there that day who wanted to go.
And as it turns out, the rescuer had paid attention in Avalance Rescue taining courses.
The two are now 'lifelong friends' and the rescued man has been making sure the new arrival to his hometown is being well looked after.
You can argue about whether it was fate or random chance all day, but let's just agree that we just gotta love stories like this. These moments of humanity, that when the time suddenly comes to step up, there are still good people out there that will exhaust themselves in a frenzy of digging through frigid hell to save a stranger.
Nothing is random
@@Caraunus okay so, I said it this way because I have no comment on that. It wasn't the focus of what I was talking about.
@@StarHeaven07 thanks for the info, I was wondering if they’d kept in touch after this.
Fate and chance are definitely debatable, but there’s no need to get upset when someone wants to debate it. Comments are meant for discussion
@@LoveTexasToast You're right, of course. Seems like every comment thread on the video is people arguing about that, so I got a bit defensive there.
Thanks for the info.
And yes, the media and also the internet is so full of cruel news, pain and division that one should regularly bear in mind that there are many, many people out there who just want to get by, who are nice and decent and who try do what is right everyday and of course in an emergency.
That guys a hero. The way he dug so heroically and then sweetly reassured the other person they’d be OK. He deserves a medal!
❤
Agreed, respect
I agree. I was freaking out.
🫳🫵👎🏻
Calling helpers heroes makes people ashamed to ask for help
His exhausted "thank you" breaks my heart
Thank gosh he found him before he gave up
@@Rockin_ROCKShe already gave up but death hasn't come yet
I felt that. So breaking
Watched the video several times, the boarder was in front of the skier. They were together.
@@d.ashgrove1247they were not together. They just happened to take the same path. Still lucky the skier saw him hanging there because he was out of view.
i was already welling up as he was digging but that "thank you" at 3:14 made me cry. What a hero Francis is.
Watched the video several times, the boarder was in front of the skier. They were together.
You can see that guy is on skiis not a snowboard @@d.ashgrove1247
snowboarders don't use ski poles either. what a weird comment
The adrenaline the rescuer was experiencing is so palpable. Your a good human!
💯 ya can hear him say the f word multiple times trying to calm himself down 3:41
How does someone not suffocate immediately when they are packed in with snow like that?
@@wheeliesforthefeelies3995 Apparently he was in there for about 5 minutes. As long as you have room for your lungs to move, you might have a bit of air packed in with you. Extremely lucky timing, regardless.
Theres a bit of room inside a tree well that if dug into properly you can use as an emergency shelter. Falling into them collapses that “roof” of snow around you -Leaving you unable to move but with little air pockets of loose snow. Even with those air pockets. (If you’re lucky to have one.) most say you have less than 10min of air. Fantastic job by the skier!
You're
The way he says “take your Time man”
You could tell how grateful he was to be finally be saved
And the skier was like "will get you out in a sec" for sure it would mean different for the snowboarder the next time he hears it again
why don’t these guys have tracking devices on them ? they just let them go out into the nowhere without knowing where ppl are? ppl have no doubt died and never been found
@@Armed-Foreverclearly you’ve never been back country. You can’t stop someone from going back country. This doesn’t happen often.
@@2PiNkStEr Lol I have i’m just making the point of how our governments aren’t serious, i’ve been skiing once and i said i will always have 2 gps trackers on me, if i go idle for too long, you know i’m in trouble. the thought of just being stuck in snow with no way out is scary
I'm sure both were immensely relieved once he could breath open air again giving time to dig him out properly.
To say Hero is too little. Imagine being prepared with that gear, thinking it’s unlikely it’ll be used, but “just in case.” Great work being prepared, alert, and selfless. We need more like you.
No, we need to be more like him
I believe it's required gear to go in the backcountry. You should have it anywhere at Baker.
When he assembled the shovel, it's like a superhero suiting up :)
Heroism requires bravery. This is a decent guy doing a decent thing. "To say Hero is too little" - people on the internet are so dramatic and annoying, ROFL. I'm shocked you didn't say you were in tears too.
yeah...kinda makes the whole thing seem a little...staged ...doesnt it?
If it’s not your time… it’s not your time. Never take a day for granted. I love you all.
This mighty rescuer got a super boost of adrenalin. What a man. God bless em both.
you can see him coming down from the adrenalin, and realizing he was just a hero.
Remember that the Lord Jesus Christ died on a cross for you because He loves you so much. He then rose up from the dead three days later
The Ten Commandments are called the moral law, (most of us are lying thieving blasphemous adulterer at heart and deserve hell) you and I broke the law, Jesus paid the fine. That’s what happened on that cross.
By believing that Jesus died on the cross and rose up from the dead 3 days later and not just confessing your sin, but also repenting of all sin you have done and putting all your trust in Him in prayer, He will grant you everlasting life as a free Gift
@@dove3853 Please stop pushing people away like that.
god didn't do shit
@@dove3853 Hail Satan
Pretty tough to watch....My friend died this exact way several years ago. Thank goodness for the alert and prepared skier being there to help.
Sorry for your loss.
Big hug from your friend. He appreciates that you miss him. He protects you from the spirit side.
That’s awful I’m really sorry for all your friend’s loved one’s.
I'm sorry for your loss
I too had a friend that died this way on this same mountain. My other friends dad was the person who found him hours after he didn’t meet up with us at the lower lodge.
The rescuer deserves huge recognition for this!
There’s a reason why he sold his footage. He wanted the money and recognition
@@201hastings and he fully deserves it
@@201hastings there's a credit tag so maybe he didn't sell it?
Rescuer of the year 💪🏻
He ended up on GoPros official RUclips channel!
How did he manage to breathe for so long under the snow? This made my day and I'm restoring my faith in humanity. Thank God
Snow unlike water, has air within and between it. Not a lot mind you, it is likely he was hypoxic, but these tree wells form due to fluffy snow falling off of tree branches a bit at a time with essentially larger air gaps, which is why they are so dangerous, since you'll practically fall through as if nothing was there at all.
The way these kill you is by either hypoxia killing you after some time, freezing to death after some time (assuming you're properly geared of course), or worst of all, it continues to snow and packs you in.
That fact that his feet was the only thing sticking out the ground is insane and the guy who saved him is a god damn hero.
Good god nobody cares@@kevinbrandon1856
Reminds me of the one guy from the nutty putty cave
God god god. Relax.
@@kevinbrandon1856
@@kevinbrandon1856fucking Yahweh wouldn't like it
@@kevinbrandon1856 Which god did he name?
You can hear the panic start to set in as he realises just what has happened, and how his breath quickens as he fights his lungs to push himself so that the other man can take a breath like he so desperately wants to. This is just, it's amazing. Really, peak humanity
That's the part that made the tears flow for me. As soon as he saw the position of the feet his adrenaline spiked and he was on it
exactly he's getting exhausted digging but powers through knowing he cant stop til he reaches his face. Just getting that short 6 feet from where he 1st saw the board and then up to the board to begin digging is a mass effort as anyone knows thats beeen in these wicked new snow conditions.
@@davidtiessen7713SERIOUSLY! I I remember getting stuck on a closed run at a resort. Fell into the snow chest deep and the entire run was like that. I was stuck with a buddy and we took AT LEAST 2hrs trying to “sled” down with our snowboards. So many times I felt like just giving up and accepting that this is it, but we eventually made it down.
By the time we got to the main lodge, the last of the guests were leaving (30min-1hr after the slopes ALL closed)
One of the scariest experiences of my life.
Holy sheesh! Glad you made it out to tell us that story! God bless you and yours in Jesus mighty name!
yeah i think he started panicking around 1:57 after he saw the snowboarder's position wouldn't let him breathe
A real tearjerking video, shows the good in humanity
Watched the video several times, the boarder was in front of the skier. They were together.
Something people may not realize is just how INCREDIBLY difficult it is to maneuver in that kind of deep snow. Every step is absolutely exhausting in those conditions. Kudos to the rescuer for having the strength to do it.
It might have just happened but it's possible for a person to freeze to the point of death but the body takes on a kind of hibernation.
I'm a Medical Sergeant for SAR and when training is drilled in "You're not dead until you're warm and dead"
@@ladyweasellou3367not in this situation, or in a case in which there’s no oxygen fed to the brain.
No lie there. I skied in deep powder at Alta for the first time about 15 years ago. 18-24 inches of the light and fluffy stuff. Last run of the day had a release and went 15 feet down a steep run. Twenty minutes of effort later I was no closer to my erstwhile ski than when I started and completely winded (and I was running marathons at the time). Luckily another skier came along and was able to grab it and get it down to me. This guy was a total boss getting back up to the boarder.
If you are in this kind of situation, the last thing you are worried about are the tempratures. You develope so much adrenaline due to the fact that you have to act quickly in this do or die situation. The life of a human lies in your hands. Can you imagine what would happen to you if you couldnt get him out alive. You would have trauma for the rest of your life. Not because it is your fault, but because your mind will tell you what you could have done differently and that feeling of "what if" never leaves you.
Believe me, i were in some kind of do or die situations and the cold is secondry in this sitation.
@@WarrenPuffet
I'm aware, just tossed it out there. Hand granade.
Always found it astonishing when we come across a recently frozen animal and *occasionally* able to bring it back with little to no negative effects. One of us will usually take it home to be sure but it's interesting. Did my training in The Carpathian Mountains and found a massive frozen bat, my instructor helped me save it. That was the funniest and most protective animal I've ever seen. Lost a little foot and primary 'toe' from frostbite so he hung wrong side up.
I burst into tears the moment he said "thank you". These dudes are gonna be friends for life.
or they wont
0:35 I had to laugh: "You alright?!" 😅
@@switch12345678narrator: “he was not”
@@wiljagerhardt1219 Actually they are now happily married,,, who would have thunk it!
@@joeblow26
Can confirm, I’m their child.
This was Mt Baker last year. The boarders partners had already went down leaving their buddy up there prob unaware he had fallen in a tree well. From the stories I've heard these two are now good friends are ride together often. This is a great reminder, always ride trees with a partner and never let them out of your sight.
Oh yeah tree wells suck I got caught in two of em but I never go alone when breaking trail
Is that Crystal Mountain ski resort?
Well that buddy sucks!
@@sazzlepop321rabo 🎉
or dont ride trees at all
Absolute miracle the chances of him being there and seeing him was meant to be bless all the good people in this world
My brother died this way, separated from his partner that day and it was too late when ski patrol found him.
What an incredible rescue this was, i will always be grateful for those who risk life and limb to help another.
Edit: Thank you all for the kind comments expressing condolences for my loss. It's been eleven years but still stings like it was yesterday.
i considered siting the details of my late brother's incident to refute any more claims of "virtue signaling" (honestly-i don't even know what that is) or that i'm making this up for some reason...but that information is sacred to me as he was my older brother, best friend and mentor, and i won't try and prove myself.
This particular story is about the consequences of caring about another human enough to help, that is what we should remember.
I'm sorry about your brother. That's horrible!
❤Ilywamh
I'm so sorry to hear that!
Sorry for your loss man..
Sorry for your loss. Seeing this video, I understand how quickly that could happen. ✨
I found this very powerful and emotional. The boarder had obviously started to accept what he thought was his fate, hence the eerie calmness. The rescuer was so unflustered and said all of the right things - absolute respect to him, he saved a life 😮
He didnt aCcEpT hIs fAtE, he was about to pass out because he was basically hanging upside down, Einstein
@@ahabduennschitz7670 OK 🔔🔚
@@ahabduennschitz7670 if passing out it would be due to the lack of oxygen since he was buried in snow. The average human can hold their breath successfully around 3 minutes before passing out. He would need to be upside down for around 9 minutes before he would pass out.
1
KJB83, I felt the same .
Holy shit. This guy is literally a hero.
Not gonna lie watching the guys face come through the snow and hearing him , knowing this guy is saving his life made this grown man tear up..
Same. Minus the grown man part.
I sobbed. I've gotten sucked into tree wells before. They trap you. Then with this much powder on top. This could've been a bad situation. What excellent timing this man has. ❤
Same here man
The exhausted out of breath "thankyou..." man, that did me in
fr, i cant imagine what was going therough his head. he just had to accept his fate
He could have taken any other path yet he was destined to take this one.
Miracles do happen 🙏🏻❤✨
"take your time man" Now that's a man very grateful to have been saved.
Exactly!! He didn’t even care if I’d take that guy an hour to shovel him out because he already accepted his fate. But when he finally got some oxygen in his system he was no longer panicking but more relaxed and reassured that today wasn’t his last day
Lol came for this comment
He was sarcastic, jk :P
Funny. I saw it more as he was extremely nonchalantly given the situation. A person grateful to be saved would more than let you know with specific words
Imagine if he was like "well hurry up dude what the hell are you waiting for?!"
This was nothing short of a miracle. Most people on that mountain take the same path. This guy was out of bounds in the trees and still managed to find him. One slight turn a different direction that guys still up there.
Yep. Completely insane
I thought the same. You can see the skier looked eyed the route to his left and then decided to squeeze through that tiny gap in the trees. What are the odds of him just going through that little space!!! Clearly not the snowboarders time to go!!😅
On top of that if the Snowboarder didnt have a bright red board it could have been easily missed.
Fate, both gonna be friends/brothers now even they not blood related.
True
The fact that he was just a few meters away of his partner and ended up ocasionally saving this dude, is a pratical miracle, he could just looked to the other side and never found that guy
Oop, careful. Apparently someone's triggered by the fact I said 'god' (lower case g) in my comment, so he might come to yours cuz you used the word 'miracle'
@@JustAJinx-ci6hg damn, god will turn us into pegeons
@@Theuzin360 Into what?
@@JustAJinx-ci6hg Pagans, probably.
I'm gonna go with pigeons.
Wow! God bless you for all your effort brother!
You saved his life!!!
He was immensely lucky. My cousin died in the same way at Northstar Tahoe a few years back. He'd been there countless times before, and had decades of experience. But he went up on his own, because no one else could take the time off. He died alone, buried headfirst in the snow, and wasn't found until 3 days later. Be careful when you're out on the slopes, folks. Because Mother Nature doesn't care how experienced you are, and sometimes the worst case scenario does happen. Edit: Thanks for all the kind words and condolences, folks. Don't make the same mistake he did, and take care of yourselves out there!
R.I.P
I’m sorry for your loss.
Did he go off the tracks?
@@TheBold1994 Thank you. And yeah, he did. I still don't understand how that happened, as he'd been there so many times before. He should've known better. The only factor I can think of is that there was 8 ft of fresh snow that morning, and maybe the change in terrain made him misunderstand where the route was.
@@Polymathically He probably got that urge to shred some fresh powder off the track. Been there done that and almost died. Learnt my lesson twice and never again. First time, I almost went down an iced over water fall and the second time my car keys ended up falling out my pocket and luckily a skier was following me and managed to grab them and meet me at my car as I realized I had lost them
@@TheBold1994jeez
Being trapped like this has to be my worst nightmare! I hope this guy never boards alone again! Bravo for rescuing him
For all we know his buddy was just 30 seconds ahead of him. I've lost track of buddies in those conditions, and I was left just praying I had missed them go ahead of me, and not ended up upended in a tree well. Luck is essential in these situations.
Apparently he was with a group but they were all ahead of him. He had a radio or something like that with him but couldnt reach it
@@s.severn he had a radio, beacon, and a shovel, but none of it was any use to him under there. He was in group of four people.
its staged to go viral he just happened to be filming
@@scuffedclips1 I guess if always having your camera on while you're on the slopes like most intermediate to expert skiers/boarders counts as just happened to be filming then that's true.
5:01 “Take your time man…”
Dude’s a legend. He’s been buried alive and he’s calm enough to let his rescuer know he’s gonna be okay. 💪🏼
for a second i thought he said it sarcastically lmao
He was probably in hypothermic shock, or hypoxic.
@@kellypatterson4412 Tell us about that if you don’t mind…
I noticed his hands weren’t moving for quite a while.
@@kellypatterson4412 he could have also just been hyped to know he’s not gonna die so he was like “I’m good bro. A moment ago I was gonna die, now I’ve actually got time” lol
@@kellypatterson4412 he couldn’t have been there long enough to be in hypothermic shock. He was insulated and safe from direct contact too.
That guy had a really bad time and got really lucky the skier came across him like that. I fell down into a buried tree similarly while boarding at Mt Baldy and was so stuck it took me over a half hour of exhausting digging to get myself out. Fortunately for me, I was not upside down like that guy or I would likely not be here to tell the tale. Good man that skier who saved him. Major props.
Francis Zuber is the name of the rescuer. The news report credits Zuber and his avalanche-rescue training for saving snowboarder Ian Steger's life. I'm not a skier, and until now I've never really appreciated just how dangerous those tree wells are. Well done, Francis Zuber!
Yes. I think most of us, being in situation like this, would try to help. You won't leave a snowboard in the snow and just skie away. But not all of us would have the skills and nerve for the rescue. For example, he took of the skies but immediately made some rampart with them, to serve as a lifesaver in case he would fall into some void below himself; he had not waisted precious time for assembling the shovel, but dug with his hands. And had the shovel in the backpack, I don't think everyone does this. Wonderful sample of responsibility, for himself and other people. Really very, very well done!
@@ubangis1 Yep he dug to the face first to allow him to breathe, using his hands in order to not hurt him with the shovel until he could have a better understanding of how the body is positioned so he could shovel safely . Very well done indeed.
dont really need avalanche training to know what to do here
@@rock-uu7qr ya you would think it's common sense to dig with your hands to find his head... Would some moron really start sticking a shovel in there without knowing where the dudes face is?
@@rock-uu7qr I disagree, I think he did everything exactly right exactly Right!
Dude isn’t just lucky that someone noticed it. He’s lucky it was someone with enough cardiovascular fitness to dig him out. That would be unbelievably
difficult to do in the time period he did it in. You can tell he keeps wanting to take a second to catch his breath and then realizing how grave this is and curses instead of breathing and goes right back at digging super hard. Honestly a feat in endurance this video. Amazing stuff
To be fair I don’t know any backcountry riders who aren’t in at least a little bit of shape.
IT'S HARD! people do not realize how much the winter affects the body until it hits them
So much energy used in such little time
Then add on top the bulky gear and snow that's trying to swallow you
You're basically already using so much power to just get around
When it's cold out like that
It's an absolute beast to go up against
So always stay hydrated and well fed in the cold time of the year
And be easy on yourself
@@Crude.Critter I’m sober in the winter to focus on riding and safety in the bc. Well worth it. Then spring time comes and it’s party time, it’s a fun lifestyle
@@eriksportsyeah, it's not like people don't shovel their driveway out at home. People that live in the snowy regions get a lot more exercise than people in the all summer south!
He had luck i know alot of people who would just walked away
Unbelievable how calm he remains ... You notice that he has finished with his life and has accepted to die.
Makes me wonder if he was hypoxic by them time he got to him
@@Teh_Random_Canadian oh forsure. Dude was drowning in dry water
Have you guys ever met a snowboarder? They are incredibly relaxed. There’s a reason they call them the surfers of the slopes. They also accept that death and injury are pretty common, similar to motorcycle bikers. Makes for a very chill combination!!
@@samaraisnt interesting
He was upside down aswell. All the blood rushing to your head can't be good for you
Its terrible to think that this probably has happened 100s of times without anyone ever noticing
doubtful
@@Graymenn what dude? I'd be willing to bet that 100s of people die in tree wells every single winter.
@@rtotheizzle 100's? put up the numbers fren
@@Graymenn ok not hundreds a winter, but with even 10-15 across the world every winter, there have been hundreds just since 2000; so the original comment you were replying to was 100 percent accurate.
@@rtotheizzle oh i thought it said hundreds a year
Wow this man is a hero. This is why skiiers and snowboarders should always travel in pairs at the very least. Safety in numbers really counts. Just wow my heart hurt for this snowboarder.
Especially boarders because they have no poles to release their bindings with, skiers at least MIGHT be able to remove skis
He was with others. they were ahead of him and didn't see what happened. They were calling him but he couldn't answer.
@naydoorf They're not "spouting bullshit" they're saying you should always have someone nearby while doing this stuff. You're being a bitch for no reason
@naydoorf Not bullshit though. He said pairs, these "friends" left him and were ahead. Pairs stay together.
@naydoorf dude chill
So fortunate for that skier to have seen his snowboard. He was buried deep. Nothing more than a miracle right there. ♥️♥️
If it wasn't for that orange board he wouldn't have even seen him!!
Looks like he was following. Then hit fresh snow and looked back. Good intuition. 👍
Amen
yup . as an avid skiieer i would say that skiier actually took many not normal paths to happen to spot him .. why ? he was led to him ? i think so .. all i can say .. a miracle . someone was watching out for that young man
@@craigbmm4675 ♥️👍♥️
For those of you unfamiliar with skiing or snowboarding, situations like these are a lot more common than one might think. The snowboarder fell into what's called a tree well. When snow falls, it doesn't collect as thick in the areas beneath the branches of fir trees, creating a loose patch of powder, air, and branches. They can be difficult to spot and very easy to fall into, and when you fall into them, the snow caves in around you and it can be literally impossible to get out, leaving you to suffocate. My dad fell into one while skiing and he would have died if his buddy hadn't pulled him out (which was very difficult according to him) and in my opinion it's one of the worst ways to die
Bro now I don’t want to go skiing man
@@darkflyper9536to add to what Mike stated, if you stay on the slope it won't happen to you. And to go off-slope you'd have to be fairly experienced, you don't go off-slope on your first day skiing 😉 So, if you want to try it, have a go.
My brother fell into one snowboarding in Utah. By himself, like the guy in the video, which wasn't too smart. Somehow my bro righted himself and managed to get out. He thought that he was a goner too. The risks of hitting the glades, lady bois....
I was snowboarding on mount hood 15 years ago or so…and while we were there someone died in a lift well. The same thing happened at the base of one of the post for the lift about halfway up the mountain. It is insane how dangerous skiing and snowboarding can be if you aren’t taught the dangers of the mountain. This is an incredible video if you ask me. It was not his time to go.
@@MsJuvalnot true….I just commented on someone else’s comment before I saw this but someone died at Mt Hood in a lift well right on the trail. Yes it was dumping snow and there was a lot of powder but it was still on the trail. Scary shit.
Ive been in a similar situation snowboarding the mountains of british columbia and i can honestly say i felt that mans relief when the skiier exposed his face and he could take his first non laboured breath in im guessing several minutes
"take ur time man" just shows he doesnt care how long it takes to get him out hes just so glad hes alive. hes so lucky
I had some fun imagining he was saying that sarcastically haha
@@long-shotlouieliterally that’s what i thought. Cracks me up everytime i hear that. 😀😀😀
He knows he doesn’t need the guy passing out from the exertion!
I think he was essentially saying "Ok I can breathe now, so slow down, calm down and focus as you continue digging and please don't rebury me or get yourself buried."
The fact that you were on that line and went over the board is a complete miracle! The rest of what you did was amazing as well. Can’t imagine how long he was there!
Dude is so fucking lucky honestly...1 tree left or right would of never seen him...
Tree wells...going off trails is a big risk especially around and through trees. Total miracle/dumb luck.
When the powder is that deep it is easier and faster to follow in someones tracks so the odds were not totally against him. But still not totally for him and it was some kind of blessing.
I believe God has a plan for all of us. And I witnessed a miracle in 2020 when F1 when Roman Grosjean crashed in to the barrier guardrail and blew up in to a ball of flames.
Go Google that and you tell me he didn't have an angel with him to protect him, and help him as he was trapped in that burning car.
I have personally watched motorsports accident that took the life of drivers that didn't look half as bad as this and I knew this was bad.
God intervenes from time to time.
These are the miracles people fail to see.
Not long
I get chills all over. I was in 2005 in the boarders position in the swiss alps. Someone rescued me. Thank you brave heros.
No One Will Ever Know What I Did To Get One Like On This Reply
Wow that's crazy how does that happen as in getting so deep? I never seen snow I live in Aus and never traveled to a part with snow. Not being a dick
@@GLOBAL-INTIFADA the snow is very soft and sometimes very far down to the hard pack. Under trees tend to be big wells which you can kinda fall into. You wouldn’t believe how soft the snow is until you get stuck in it. I’ve been stuck up to my waist with a snowboard on, it took me so long to free myself. Then you move and just sink again, it’s brutal!
@@GLOBAL-INTIFADA it's so difficult to just walk through fresh snow! it takes so much energy out of you! and everything is working against you
@@sp4nrs "QUICK SNOW " ? Yeah, thanks for what you explained ... you can kinda see it looks like he took a head first dive next to a tree... ///suppose the evergreens may heat from the sun and create these pockets?/// EDIT, Wiki: TREE WELL : A tree well, also known as a SPRUCE TRAP, is the space around a tree under its branches that does not get the same amount of snow as the surrounding open space. This creates a void or area of loose snow below the branches and around the trunk that is dangerous to any hikers, snowshoers, skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers who fall into them. If someone lands in such a well, often as a result of a fall, it can be too deep for them to climb up the surrounding loose snow before they are buried. Making the situation more dangerous, they often fall into the well head-first and as the result of an accident which could leave them injured or unconscious.
That guy who saved him should receive an award for his skills❤ he’s an observant.
Probably one of the most intense real videos I've seen in some time. A lot of it is realizing how alone that snow border must have felt prior to being rescued. Thank God this skier was observant, prepared and intelligent in his approach.
imagine how unrealistic and pure luck was that. i find it hard to believe and i wouldnt be surprise if that was staged.
@@kebub1 I feel like it would be pretty hard to stage the state of burriedness the guy is in.
@@pigger1010 idk maybe. being find in snow like this where barely anyone passes by is like winning on lottery.
@@kebub1 why don't you tell that to the commenter who lost his brother in the main comments 😂 probably didn't feel staged to him.
@@kebub1 well winning the lottery is possible. If youve never had a moment where you had a crazy lucky, one in a lifetime moment, i wonder if you need to get out more. Ive had one in a lifetime experiences that people wouldnt have believed if there werent witnesses or cameras. Lucky one in a lifetime coincidences happen everyday all the time around the world
If you never skid back country in this much snow you cannot comprehend how hard it is to move just a few feet uphill. This skier was in incredible shape and had some serious skill.
Back in the early 2000s a friend rode off a railroad grade at night on a snowmobile in the northern WIsconsin lake effect zone from lake Superior. Yes he was drunk and it was 2:30am so no other traffic on the trail. With 240 inches of snow that season so far (it was late January) stepping off the grade sank you to your crotch, so the only way to get to him was to belly crawl. He was not that far off the grade but it took him hitting the gas on the snowmobile and 2 big guys (me and a 3rd friend) 35 minutes to get that sled back onto the grade. Yes we had to rest a bit before moving on. So yeah that dig by the skier was quite impressive.
One of my best days riding was being taken up a mountain in a snowcat and riding a birch wood after a meter of snow. Sublime with the sun through the trees but man I took a branch in the face and ended up on my back and I simply couldn't push myself back up because the snow was that deep. Luckily there was a team of us. I was trying to starfish to a tree trunk at the amusement of my buddies but managed to get my board off. My heart was bursting through my mouth. Couldn't get my board back on without help. That first beer at the end of the day was nectar.
I completely agree. This skier was nothing short of a guardian angel sent to this snowboarder. I don’t even mean in like a religious sense, but the odds that a well prepared skier runs into someone while they’re still alive is incredible
Yes sir
yes, taking some snow in his hands - seen as it's something nothing, light, etc.. But working and cleaning 0,5 - 1m of snow will be a horrible job.
3:15 the most solemn, humbled, genuine thank you I've ever heard.
For those who have never skiied before, just doing that movement, 0:35, of shuffling your skis back and forth, trying to go up a slope in all that loose snow is incredibly exhausting. You can hear the man breathing heavily while doing it and then to also dig that man out of the snow is truly a Herculean effort. God bless this man for saving this snowboarder.
people seem to forget all of this exercise on top of that is at high altitude with thin air. its like wearing a mask basically while trying to run sprints
Yes! Amazing truly
@@soccermastax
Nevermind wearing a mask, it’s like wearing a plastic bag over your whole head!
his adrenaline must have been pumping for him to do this.
yea that level of physical activity especially in such an intense situation was borderline superhuman lol
I think he initially thought the snowboarder was just crashed on of the snow. When he realised the guy was fully burried that’s when he realised he was in a race against time. What a frightening experience for both of them!
At the same time there is nothing more heartwarming than seeing humans help each other out.
Agree with everything you said except I think he understood the situation the moment he passed him. You may know this already but it is a common danger in that environment called a tree well. The skier is just exhausted from spending his strength to climb up to the boarder. I had to replay the video to see if he was the guy in front of him but he was not. It is a miracle he was seen by the skier.
So lucky the skier literally passed over that burried man
"You all right?" - Followed by no response, seeing the board upside down, then immediately gets to work. You're probably right
Amazing to see the rescuer do everything right. Approached carefully, assesed the situation and dug straight for the mans face. Kept him calm and then continued to free him. Bravo sir. And props to the snowboarder for maintaining a cool head. No pun intended.
No pun intended but still funny, haha.
เขาฝึกมาก่อน
And you could tell how relieved the rescuer was at hearing the rescued’s voice - his strong “I’m good”. It’s heartwarming (no pun intended either) to see how they sort of reassured each other by being calm and controlled
This deserves a spotlight, I was going to comment the same thing. It's hard to overstate how great a job he did taking his time and insuring his own safety first as he approached calmly. This could've been much worse, big kudos to him.
Yup, a lot of people would just freeze in these kind of situations (no pun intended), so keeping your composure is a must.
even watching it was intense. God bless you both
I can't say anything that already hasn't been said about both of these guys. Chilling and heartbreaking to watch, but the outcome was as good as it gets. Be kind to yourself folks. We only have a finite amount of time here.
Even less time, if you do dumb shit like this boarder did. Riding alone on this sort of terrain
So very true. Most of us don't think about that much. Live every day to the fullest.
@k1xnt_712 all boarders run this risk making them all stupid
We got more time in heaven.
@@Lmao_373 Although I believe in God, I can't rely on heaven.
Can you imagine the relief the guy felt when he felt someone digging him out? The unbelievable luck that he was found in time is truly a miracle. Thank God & the skier.
I feel like his legs might have been numb so imagine he didn’t know until the light hit him
Not lucky, blessed 😊
I believe the boarder had come to terms with this being his last moments on this earth. He had zero panic, was extremely calm and almost motionless. I think the realization he had of his situation had really set in. Imagine being in his position, coming to terms with such a scenario and then miraculously a skier litteraly runs overtop you in such a wide and random spot. That skier was given a push in the right direction by God to help this poor boarder.
God would've let him die alongside the countless others that weren't so lucky. 😂 credit to the skier though
@@Frawzen480 Yup, for believers if something bad happens, it isn't God. If something good happens, it is God. What hypocrites.
That man is astonishingly calm for being stuck in such a situation
More like in shock
he had probably already accepted death at that point.
Shock is a weird state of mind. Indescribable.
Well you only have so much stress chemicals in stuff in you, eventually you just run out
I think he was just so glad that he was found that he felt a massive relief, hearing him dig must have been the sound of his guardian angel to him
God bless for this person to follow through , he saved this man..incredible !!!
It's incredible that the skier took the same path as the snowboarder and was able to see him, stop and help him all in time for it to not be fatal.. it is Literally insane.. good for them. What an incredible moment
He didn't just seen him. I think he felt that he scraped that guy's snowboard, and noticed it
Exactly what I was thinking! For him to take that same path was nothing short of a miracle.
@@samp6237 he might have seen that the snowboarder was going down a dangerous path and gone to make sure everything went smoothly
And catch it on camera
pure Luck, never go completely alone.
Not only is he lucky enough for someone to find him and help, the person that finds him has a SHOVEL and a video camera. Amazing video.
That's because it's fake.
@@jesser999 you can't fake almost dying
@@jesser999 or the dude is well prepared in case something were to go wrong on a snowy mountain.
@@graveyardduck7017 shovel is a mandatory piece of equipment when going off-piste, I don't understand how people can think it's a matter of coincidence.
If you’re off-piste/backcountry skiing, you better damn well have a shovel. This guy is lucky, yeah, but his rescuers having a shovel should be considered normal.
He absolutely did his best to get up the snow the safe way, rather than flail around and possibly fall himself. 10/10 example of being a human being
Yeah the way he got his skis under him to disperse his weight was a pro move.
Yeah, I like how he also got to a point where they were more in the way than helpful, immediately realised and quickly popped his latches.
10/10 example of being a SMART, and CARING human being*
Human beings can be the complete polar opposite as well, actually more so, this is kind of a rare human being, sadly.
@@randomrecipes5007 not really, what's rare is the media showing humans being good.
@@HashiAkitaPuppy The media parts definitely true..
It’s truly beautiful to see such a miracle! Dude is a hero!
I’m getting anxiety just watching this 😮 I can’t imagine how terrifying this must have been for both of them in different ways
I made this same comment almost lol. Anxiety Induced
Remember that the Lord Jesus Christ died on a cross for you because He loves you so much. He then rose up from the dead three days later
The Ten Commandments are called the moral law, (most of us are lying thieving blasphemous adulterer at heart and deserve hell) you and I broke the law, Jesus paid the fine. That’s what happened on that cross.
By believing that Jesus died on the cross and rose up from the dead 3 days later and not just confessing your sin, but also repenting of all sin you have done and putting all your trust in Him in prayer, He will grant you everlasting life as a free Gift
@@dove3853wtf does that have to do with this
@@scaereyguy in every other commentsection you find those christ-fanatics, that preach something about christ. Just ignore or report them.
Many people believe in something, but only those fanatics are using every chance they get to preach.
@@dove3853 See you're you are not actually helping when it comes to spreading the words of your god.
Kind of a wholesome moment, telling him "we're both gonna just catch our breath for a second". Terrifying situation, but you both handled it really well and didn't panic. Good on both of you, and stay safe out there
Well I wouldn’t say there was no panic
You can hear the guys heartbeat and the adrenaline filling up which means he’s panicking to a extent
He’s just not letting it consume and overtake his ability to think clearly of what to do and how to react
And the guy under the snow I’m sure he’s panicking but he’s also buried headfirst in thick fresh fallen powder snow which might as well be concrete to him so despite panicking and probably attempting to flail and get out there was about butt fuck all he could do with that panic once your hear him gulp in a few breaths of air and respond though you can tell he thought he was dead
“Take your time”
@@Glowstick48 well said
Honestly that line was incredibly comforting. He made it look like he had it under control, which he did, but that reassurance is still nice to feel when you're in a situation like this.
its staged to go viral he just happened to be filming
"take your time man" felt very sad like he had given in on all hope of survival before and was truly greatfull that he was found
He said that because he could breathe and was generally okay for the moment.. enough for the rescuer to catch his breath. Don’t want the rescuer to pass out or have a heart attack! Then they will both be in trouble.
I'm thinking he knew that guy was his only friend in the world at that moment and he wanted to make sure he was happy, healthy, and not gonna wear himself out
@@mcleodmichael1 Exactly my thoughts
I think he was the guy right in front of him at the beginning of the clip, I don't think he was there long but he definitely thought he was fucked. Terrifying.
@@debradowner8761 Initially thought the same, but different cloths & equipment!
Never go out alone. Unbelievably lucky dude.
This was overwhelming. The snowboarder was calm and accepting his fate and the skier was calm and not willing to accept the skier’s fate.
He probably hadn’t accepted his fate, most likely just did not have the capacity to struggle. He was probably hypothermic and disoriented from it, so he wasn’t able to react as much.
@@Pewpewpewdamnnnnnhegotshot How would he go hypothermic so quickly while geared up and feeling adrenaline? He would likely be suffocating, not feeling the effects of a low core body temp.
He was probably suffocating
I'm not sure he accepted his fate. He was probably completely exhausted from struggling to get free
"F**K" the skier stated, calmly
How was that dude not dead? This guy was not only ultra alert but he came prepared! True Hero!
That snow had a lot of air and wasn't densely packed ... which fortunately gave them more time before he would suffocate
Thats God for ya.
100% guarantee same thing happened to the dude that rescued him so he started carrying small pack in case it happened again - also he was using a lot of words that first responders do and was extra smart about how to use his poles flat to gain climb traction and skis to brace up the fluffy stuff so he could have a platform to dig down from. If he could have walked to him, he would have - but it was so loose in the cluster of tree wells that he would have either been buried on the way and/or fell in on the original victim.
@@dma93-ch your breath initially melts the snow around your mouth giving you some time to breathe, it then starts to form an ice wall/pocket that won’t melt and you will suffocate very shortly after.
@jacksprrow - No, it's not. That *_skier_* who happened to be _following_ him was *_close enough_* and he noticed the *snowboard* as he skied over it. He was *prepared* and _carried a shovel_ for this purpose, and he was *_calm_* and *_capable_* in rescuing the boarder.
No "sky-daddy" needed.
“Take your time man” I know he’s probably not 100% lucid from the cold and lack of oxygen, but I think this gives serious insight into who the snow boarder is as a person. Even when still mostly buried and barely escaping certain death, he still manages to be polite and kind to his savior. And that skier, what an absolute hero. Got my adrenaline going watching him dig for that poor guy, you could tell he was absolutely determined to rescue this dude no matter what. I’m proud to call both of these gentlemen fellow Americans.
He's probably terrified of the snow collapsing in again, he knows he's breathing and going to be ok and just doesn't want to get caved in on again, it must be a terrifying position.
I thought it was a "coping humor" sort of thing. Lmao
So glad this man found him in time! ❤
pretty sure no1 would be rude when getting saved in a situation like this :D kinda normal response
Pretty sure he said "thank you, kind man"
How do you know that the rescuer was an American?
Man came prepared to save someone's life. Mission accomplished. Well done... So amazing...
Yeah I need me a handy dandy little shovel like that
In Italy is mandatory If you want to go off the track and also in all European countries if I’m not wrong, I don’t know where it appended
This seems particularly well designed shovel, clips together no problem with gloves on, nice bright colour so you don't lose sight and can indicate your position with it to choper/Drone, all nicely incorporated into the backpack.
This brings tears to my eyes every time I come back and see it. Human beings can be so freaking great!
Amazing how he took the time to tell the buried snowboarder what's going on, and that he's just taking a breath and that he's not going to leave him.
Very composed too. Professional
Amazing though? Ppl are so over the top with expressions.
It's heroic for sure
@@andreo.7633 Heroic? Commendable, perhaps.
@@Post98w he could have not said anything at all and it wouldn’t have mattered lol. Barely even commendable. It’s amazing he saved his life lol. That’s the crazy part.
@@Lukeomatic719 ......
I read an article and the skier actually has avalanche rescue training. That’s why he dug straight to his face so he could breath. Dude is a beast.
for anyone who's never been in snow this deep, i cannot possibly describe the exhaustion you build up walking- digging- moving around. one of the first times I could ever imagine myself "giving up and dying" was in powder like this. you have to be so careful with how you move.
100%. Having done a my fair share of off piste i can say that theres nothing like it. Ive fallen a few times but at worst on my stomach or back, and even then its hard to get back up. The snow swallows yur body, weighs yu down, when yu try to push against it yur arm/ leg just goes further in making it even worse. Not to mention as a snowboarder yur feet are bound up in parallel with a massive anchor holding them together. Being upside-down like he was with yur arms unable to unlatch yur board is the same as being in a straight jacket with constant pressure on every part of yur body. He absolutely would have died if nobody had found him.
@@benclimenhaga2136 these cross country skiers and snowboarders are some of the most fit people in the world.
Yeah I remember getting stuck in powder face up with my board stuck. Took nearly every ounce of energy I had to get out. After I made it back down the hill, I was done, literally done. Was done for the day and done snowboarding.
Absoutely true. Yes, deep powder is like skiing/boarding in a cloud, nearly weightless, but falling and recovering is just the opposite; a nightmare.
Yeah it's nothing to play around with, I would never board alone in this stuff. Even on those perfect days where I know it's going to be heaven, if I don't have at least one person with me, I don't go into these areas. I've been stuck before I just can't describe the relief when I was finally able to reach my bindings and was able to start the process of digging myself out. I was so exhausted from trying for my bindings I was on the verge of throwing up. Later that night I broke down and had a panic attack.
Dude you left us hanging, really wanted to see that guy up out of the snow but I’m sure saving his life was much more important than a video clip. Thanks for just being aware and helping a fellow out of a dangerous situation
I agree, but also, getting him out might end up showing his face and much more of his reaction, which might be kind of more private things...?
Exactly as the other guy said. 1000% this man was an emotional MESS after getting out.
Right? I was like... Wtf
@@Lillyluri this guy deserves to do whatever he wants with the video. He earned the right.
@Miles I imagine it takes a very special kind of man to not be after that. Being buried alive would scare the crap out of me. I'd be a mess.
You're a good man dude! God bless you💪🏾🧡
This is literally one of the most amazing videos online, period. The fact he took that dlecific route through those trees exactly where the guy was buried, a miracle. The fact there was just enough room for his feet and snowboard to be sticking out, a miracle. I really wish he could've kept recording to see the look on the other mans face when he gets pulled out. I would imagine he would have been crying in absolute relief and probably owed his life to his savior. Absolutely 100% a miracle.
Amen
Thats what happens when you dont do mewing
@@reapexer Are you serious
@@shr1mpers 🤫🧏♂️
@@shr1mpers 🧏♂️🤫
The amount of energy he had to use to pull that off is insane. This guy is an absolute hero. That was terrifying.
Adrenaline is a heck of a thing
Calling helpers heroes makes people ashamed to ask for help
@@DawnshieId this is the stupidest thing i have ever read in my entire life
@@DawnshieId
What?
@@DawnshieIdlol
Dude I am crazy claustrophobic and that snowboarder was so calm. Hats off to you son. To the guy who saved him, you sir are an angel!
The anxiety and panic following the relief of being rescued must've exhausted him, glad he's safe.
He was calm because he was nearly unconscious.
Me too. The blankets gettin too tight when my dog lays on 'em fucks me up even. I couldn't imagine being in this situation. Well, I imagine a heart attack would go along with it.
same here. how.he.remained so.calm is.crazy
He said he knew he had to stay calm and slow his breathing to try to survive, I would have straight panicked.
The snowboarders totally relaxed “I’m good” with just his arm, face, hand, and legs exposed made me chuckle. So happy to breath and know that he’ll be free soon
I had to hold back tears, man imagine how long it would have taken for this poor man to die if he had not been found by this hero. I'm so glad there are people like this still on the planet.
Few days propably. He could breathe so,death does not come quick..
Same. I teared up watching this
@@vili1 how was he able to breathe though??
@@jimskeuh snow is kinda spongey
Probly not long I think suffocating
This is literally winning the lottery of life. One in a million chance, 100% dead otherwise. Chilling and inspiring at the same time. Props to the skier, he clearly knew what he was doing.
Excuse the pun
Very chilling.
Thing is, you leave a very visible path behind you as you sky. A lot of people will follow these sky paths because it's safer than just go at it on your own. So it's not really that lucky. But it's lucky nonetheless that there's someone who chose his path in time.
I like how you just have to dig someone out of the snow and then morons think you "know what your doing"
@@georgehill3087Likely only had a little bit of air trapped in his mask. he could died in a short amount of time or suffered brain damage
My cousin perished in an avalanche, terrible way to go. I'm sure this man is forever grateful.
I am sorry to hear that 😢
I am so sorry 😞✌️
May he Rest in Piece
😢😢😢
Sorry for your loss, may God bless you.
Thats an absolut miracle. Legendary save
The fact that the skier saw him was insane! It blows my mind how if things did not happen exactly how they did the snowboarder would have likely died. The fact that he just happen to fall in the exact location for him to see his snowboard is kinda a miracle. This was amazing to see ❤
Yeah very lucky that he picked that line. The other skier who was presumably skiing with took a completely different line and would probably have been way too far down the mountain to be able to help in time. Also lucky that the skier fell in that spot and then picked a line which went right over the snowboard.
God is great
@@thirstonhowellthebird Yeah such a great guy, almost killing someone buried in snow but saving him close to his death, what a nice god. I bet the guy who almost died was thrilled by god's funny games.
Sarcasm
God is so good.
Brightly colored snowboard helped. Guess it is not just for showing off.
A boy I knew in high school died snowboarding this way. I’m glad you were able to help him.
It’s so dangerous
jesus this makes me never want to go snowboarding.. scary
How was he able to help him if he died?
@@lionobama1397 different person
@@bentaihananas4169 Were you there too?