Wow! How close was that? Terrifying video posted by snowmobiler John Sievers this week shows him getting completely buried in a random avalanche while out sledding recently. Sievers was riding south of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on what looks to be relatively safe terrain when a small slide lets loose on a seemingly innocuous slope. But it buries him completely. Luckily, his riding partner was right behind him.
“Scariest experience of my life,” Sievers wrote on Facebook. “Thank God Jason Rubio was right there. Definitely could’ve been a different ending. I’m very thankful to walk away from this. My avalanche bag didn’t work. I pulled the handle like my life depended on it and it didn’t deploy. #SorryMom”
No doubt mom is thankful for Rubio as well. Scary stuff.
If you’re interested in getting out there safely, a great place to start is Inspire Course’s Backcountry Basics and Avalanche Awareness with instruction from iconic snowboarder Nick Russell and avy expert Sam Thackeray.