Snowmobile Rider Rescued After Buried by Avalanche

A snowmobile rider is now safe after he was “fully buried” by an avalanche — and his rescue was captured on camera.

The Summit County Rescue Group (SCRG) said it responded to the avalanche “in the Shrine Bowl vicinity of Vail Pass Recreation Area” just after 12 p.m. local time on Monday, Feb. 17.

According to a news release from the rescue group, two men were caught in the slide, one of whom was buried in snow. The man who was not buried “called 9-1-1 and immediately attempted to locate his friend.” 

A rescuer spotted the corner of the rider’s deployed avalanche airbag “sticking out of the snow” while they walked across the debris field, according to an accident report from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC).

Body camera footage from the incident, shared by the SCSO, showed crews swiftly arrived at the scene and quickly dug the man out from the snowpack. One of the rescuers said the man appeared to be stuck underneath two feet of snow.

“We were all just expecting the worst, really,” SCRG member Dave Wandel told NBC affiliate KUSA. I mean, it had been an hour-plus that the slide had happened, so we just didn’t expect someone to be found alive.”

The rider remained buried for “over an hour” before he was rescued “with only minor injuries,” according to a statement shared by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO).

The man “was conscious and talking, but cold” when rescuers made contact with him, per the CAIC accident report. 

“He obviously had a full-face snowmobile helmet, which really helped protect his airway, you know, so snow wasn’t packed into his mouth,” Wandel said, per KUSA. “And then I think the airbag, you know, just poking up out of the surface a little bit allowed a little more air coming into his face.”

The rescued rider was transported to Summit Medical Center after he “appeared to be suffering mainly from early stages of hypothermia,” according to the SCRG.

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“We are incredibly grateful for this fortunate outcome and proud of the coordinated efforts of our deputies and the Summit County Rescue Group,” the SCSO said in its statement. “Their dedication and skill made this rescue possible.”

Avalanche danger on the day of the incident was “high” after “a series of intense storms” impacted the area, according to the SCRG.

Avalanche burial “will generally result in a fatality if the subject is not located and uncovered within 15 minutes,” the rescue group added.

“Survival is highly dependent on all members of the party having a transceiver, probe pole and shovel and knowing how to use them,” the SCRG said. “In this case, the subject was extremely fortunate to have been located alive.”