A Colorado avalanche victim was seen being dug out from underneath the snow in a dramatic rescue captured on video.
An individual, who fortunately only sustained minor injuries, was trapped under the snow at Vail Pass for over an hour following an incident on Monday afternoon, as confirmed by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
According to bodycam footage released by the rescuers, the victim was found about two feet below the surface of the snow. A deputy mentioned, “He is breathing, conscious, and is speaking to us.” This implies that the person was responsive during the rescue operation.
Video documentation illustrates the efforts of the first responders as they cleared away snow to reach the individual. The victim seemed to have managed to stay relatively close to the snow surface, possibly aided by an avalanche airbag backpack.
Video captured the rescue of the man in Vail Pass in Colorado. (Summit County Sheriff’s Office)
Elsewhere on Monday, two backcountry skiers were killed after getting trapped in an avalanche in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains in the Happy Valley area west of Bend.
The victims identified in that incident — Susan Skjersaa, 52, and Terance Skjersaa, 57 – are part of a family that opened Bend’s first ski shop, according to the Associated Press.
An 8-year-old snowboarder also was rescued this week following a chairlift incident at Killington Ski Resort in Vermont, according to The Boston Globe.
The victim was found about two feet underneath the snow, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office said. (Summit County Sheriff’s Office)
The child was not fully seated when the chair left the loading area Wednesday, and he eventually fell into a rescue net, the newspaper reported, citing the report.
