Man Spots Something Strange Sticking Out of the Snow, Realizes He Just Saved His Brother
Two Utah brothers had a lot to be grateful for on Christmas after surviving a harrowing near-death experience during an avalanche the previous day.
The chilling incident unfolded on Christmas Eve, when two brothers and their father went snowmobiling along the Franklin Basin winter trail.
One of the brothers accidentally triggered an avalanche while doing a maneuver, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.
He was able to ride away but watched helplessly as a mountain of snow violently “swept up and carried his older brother, who was standing next to his sled below the slope.
“The avalanche carried both the rider and his sled down the slope for around 150 yards and through a group of trees, partially burying the sled and completely burying the older brother,” the UAC said.
The boys’ father got buried up to his waist under the avalanche but was eventually able to climb out.
“The younger brother used a transceiver and an effective search pattern to first attain a signal, and then get close enough to see a couple of fingers of his brother’s gloved hand sticking out of the snow,” per the UAC.
The younger brother then drove the older brother — who had broken his leg in the accident — out of the avalanche on his snowmobile.
The father was also able to ride out on his vehicle.
On Thursday, workers with the Utah Avalanche Center returned to the scene and recovered the “bent-up and broken sled and a badly ripped airbag that the older brother had deployed when he was caught by the avalanche.
“The damage to the sled, the airbag, and the rider was caused by all being dragged violently through a group of trees by the avalanche,” the UAC explained.
Toby Weed, a forecaster with the UAC, said the trio was lucky to be alive.
“Those guys had a very, very lucky Christmas Eve,” Weed told KSTU in Salt Lake City.
In 2008, two riders — 22-year-old Erik Jorgensen and 23-year-old Jesse Johnson — died in a Christmas Eve avalanche in a nearby trail, Weed recounted.
To prevent such tragedies, Weed urged everyone to check the avalanche forecast before heading to the hills for recreational activities.
Fortunately, the two brothers and their dad survived the frightening ordeal and were able to celebrate another Christmas together as a family.
These occurrences are a helpful reminder that we should all be grateful for the health and safety of our family and loved ones during the holidays — and throughout the year.
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