Terrifying Moment: Snowboarder skis through Avalanche in a desperate attempt to stop himself from being buried alive

A snowboarder managed to survive an avalanche that nearly killed him by riding on the top of the snow and making “swimming motions” to keep from getting submerged. Blake Nielson, a snowboarder in Big Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake, Utah was riding when an “isolated stone” fell and propelled Nielson down the mountain. Nielson was wearing a helmet camera device that captured every moment as it was happening—here’s what the footage showed.

1

He was first to slide

Nielson filled out an incident report Video of the man explaining what happened after the avalanche and how he was caught up in the near disaster. Video footage He is seen sliding down the mountain talking to his friend, who was also boarder. He shouted, “Logan! I’m sliding!” over the radio. “I’m staying at the top, but it is sliding,” he said.

2

Take a ride

Nielson describes the moment he couldn’t stop the debris from taking him for a ride. “I fell first into the hanging box, then made a side turn to my heels, then an isolated wind slab broke free below and over me, knocking me off my feet. Then, he took me for a ride. I was able keep most of my body above the snow, and I was able radio my partner to inform him that I was sliding with it.

3

Swimming Motions

Nielson describes how he managed to keep himself from getting submerged in the snow. I made swimming motions using my arms, and kicked my board to keep me up. After 300 feet, I was finally able to slow down, and then stop. After regrouping, the debris was finally descended. The slope fell to about 1,300 feet.

4

Respect the Wind

Nielson was not hurt, but he knows how fortunate he was. He urges everyone to take extra precautions when riding in potentially dangerous conditions. He says, “Respect the winds.” Even a small, manageable wind pocket can carry you far in steep terrain with long runouts.

5

Lessons Learned

Nielson believes that lessons were learned from this incident. “Cross loading has serious consequences. I had already read the avy [avalanche] Although I knew wind would be a problem and forecast it, cross loading was not something that I anticipated as being a problem in the Wasatch. Leçon learned. According to Avalanche CanadaCross-loading refers to wind moving snow down a slope. Cross-loading involves snow being picked up from the windward end of ribs and outcrops. The snow is then placed in lee pockets. Cross-loading can contribute to wind slab formation.