Tree well rescue at Mt. Baker (Original)
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- Опубліковано 25 бер 2023
- Tree well rescue in the Mt. Baker side country. I was skiing a zone with a partner when I passed by a snowboarder upsidedown and buried in a tree well. I only caught a glimpse of his board but it was enough to get my attention.
The boarder was with a group of three other riders, all very experienced and carrying beacon, shovel, probe, and walkies. - Спорт
What an incredible, life-saving rescue that shows a true hero in action. Thank you for sharing.
Sort this brother out with a GoPro he deserves it
@@smiln2697 he already has one tho
@@DustinGuy123 no such thing as too many GoPros
@@DustinGuy123 Backups are always nice!
Give him line of the year/season. No run beats this.
Dude you are an actual hero. There is a 100% chance he would have died without your help.
within a minute or two he would have likely at least had brain damage. You are 100% right that he saved his life.
Without a doubt this would be fatality, lucky guy and a good ending story.👍🏼
Right call taking the skis off, as tough as it is to move without them. (I was mentally debating this while watching.). Handled everything perfectly: clearing airway being top priority. Kudos.
@@PDGX and it looks like he laid across the skiis for support so he wouldn't sink into the snow
@@commonsense6869 almost, used them like ice picks. He was able to push them into the snow to create a pull up bar almost as the steep angle doesn’t look steep on camera but you can tell it’s pretty vertical. Add the waist deep snow and it’s hard to move at all - brilliant move!
"Take your time man" those four words are heartwrenching when you think about the whole situation. He probably had accepted his death. So when you came along, there was no rush for him. he was saved the moment he saw you
I tought he said:"thank you my man", now i understand and you almost made me drop a tear seriously
He didn't say take your time. He said "Thank you."
Oops, I was wrong.😊
@@TK-cl1jm 5:00 he says "Take your time man".
@Lucas.Fuentes Yes! I missed that! You're all exactly right, thanks for the time stamp!
I think also once he could breath he knew he was ok. That was a lot of snow on top of him but he could still get air in his lungs. Terrifying to fall in head first to a tree well and then to top it off the snow from the tree mustve fallen on top of him. That's a whole lotta snow.
As someone who had a family friend die by suffocating in a tree well, I cannot thank you enough for this. Nobody should have to experience this sort of thing, and the fact that you saved this man brings me so much joy. Thank you
I am so sorry for your loss. Lots of love
Sorry for your loss. But if the person suffocating was a child, animal abusing criminal should he still be saved?
@@teamcatyt4503 yeah i mean anyone can change,also im not sure why are you asking if the person suffoacting was a child because of course you should
@@teamcatyt4503 why is that relevant to the comment?
@@teamcatyt4503 Bro how the fuck is that relevant to the comment?
I’ve never commented on a UA-cam video before. However, as a veteran, retired firefighter/paramedic, and current Nursing Supervisor your efforts should get a standing ovation. You conveyed an undeniable sense of confidence and acted without hesitation. Everything was done as it would’ve been done by professional rescuers. Absolutely inspiring. Thank you sharing and setting such a valorous example.
Pretty good for your first comment!
@@savage22bolt32 right? valorous is such a good word!
You also deserve very high praise! Thank you for all that’s been done on your end you are a true hero to our society!
That’s what I got. Dude was prepared mentally and even equipped with a shovel. What a hero.
As a retired teacher, navy seal, chef, professional soccer coach, president of the university of Nebraska, and current member of the NCAA basketball hall of fame I salute you for all you have done to make this country great again.
Your instincts were so spot on, no hesitation, systematically got to him and dug down to clear his airway. Once you established contact, you chilled, took a sec and communicated positively and kept the victim feeling safe.
But mostly the humanity to stop and race back to see if the guy was in trouble makes you a 1 in a million. We can all be inspired by your actions on that day.
1 in a million people would stop to help someone buried in snow? I think the opposite is true. I think 999999 in a million would.
@@ophello It was obviously hyperbole, and just a turn of phrase, but I love your faith in humanity. Take care.
@@ophello Nah, so many woukd think "not my business" and continue on..
@@hughjanus5518yeah there would sadly actually be people that would do that
@@hughjanus5518 when I was skiing, I would see people help those that had a fall all the time. But that is here in Europe, Idk about the US or sth
I know some people might feel im being stupid focusing on that, but damn the words spoken by the rescuing gentleman were the perfect mixture of kindness and professionalism.
No one thinks you’re being stupid brother. We all appreciate this man’s heroism and kindness.
Thank you for reminding me to pack a shovel. Amazing. I know how hard it is to fight through that snow. So close but so far away. You are a hero.
Just the fact that he grabbed and shook the board! as well, to let him know someone was there. Snow has a tendency to suppress sound and he understood that too.
Shaking the board also let him establish which was the boarder was facing and establish his airway faster.
I once was swimming with my little sister in our grandpas lake and she jumped in when I was turned around eating some watermelon. When I looked back I only saw her life vest floating and somehow I jumped in and found her about 6 feet under pitch black water. I now finally understand how my family felt after watching this. 15 years and I never understood why Boy Scouts gave me the heroism award and all, I thought it was something normal to do. You’re a hero brother, this man had accepted death like my sister yet both are still alive today. 🤜🤛
Dude, there is no fucking way. I swear when I still had a subscription to the boys life magazine I saw your story. That's crazy.
@@matchbox7068 I never got In the magazine to my knowledge but I did get the heroism award, I got awarded at the silver beaver
@@matchbox7068mee too! I remember this story
Scout salute brother. Way to represent what we were taught. I felt the same watching this.
Edit: please check out the interviews with both parties involved. Not my story to tell. I was filling info before this got picked up
The guy in the tree well is my ski buddy's uncle. Has 30 years of boarding experience up at Baker, knows his shit but got unlucky. Tried to shoot those narrow trees hoping for an opening below but wound up taking a tumble in the wrong place. My friend was telling me that he was in there for about 5 minutes before this man saved his life. It is a miracle and an excellent example of the dangers of deep snow immersion and tree wells. Even if you know the mountain, are skiing with friends and are an expert rider, the mountain does not care and can humble you quickly
Do you know if he's given any interviews or if the news has caught hold of this yet? Some of the craziest footage of a rescue I've seen.
@@Ben-sz6ej good morning america/ ABC picked it up
Well said. This can happen even in bounds. I was skiing in Tahoe a few weeks ago and towards the end of the day, I was still finding fresh lines in the trees. My Cousin had already gone back to the lodge and I just remember thinking, don't go down, they'll find you in July.
I feel like Francis came in just in time! How long can someone even be stuck like that and not just pass out/suffocate? I know I sure as hell wouldn't be able to hold my breath for 5 minutes.
@@cheetoritos They say 15 minutes or so has a very high survival chance. Every minute after that your odds drop
"Take your time man." Calmly said by a guy that thought he was dead 10 minutes ago. STRAIGHT HERO!
The way he says thank you… breaks my heart. Amazing rescue
It's so understated but you really feel the subtext its like "thank you, I was starting to lose consciousness and I was already sure I was dead."
I could feel your panic as you fought the snow to try to get to him in time. You are amazing. So quick and so determined. You did amazing.
Thank you for being an awesome human being.
Awesome job! You were situationally aware, acted quickly to clear the airway, and had the composure to communicate with the victim well as you did it.
And had a shovel in his bag!
That was terrifying! The snow kept falling on his face, some real nightmare fuel. Great rescue.
The dude, buried 6 feet under the snow. He asked are you good? Yeah I’m good. In this case, I would say that’s a relative term.
Victim? He wasn’t being assaulted
@@bartholomewlyons In outdoor accidents it's common practice to talk about the folks involved as victims.
You are 100% this guy's guardian angel. The chances of you not only coming right through those exact tree's and then stopped turned and looked is a million to 1. And not only that but you had a shovel. This guy had minutes to live, seriously good job man.
He's lucky the bottom of his snowboard had bright graphics, or it most likely would never have been seen. Bright skis/boards (and ski clothes) aren't just for looks. They can be life-saving.
@@HawgRiderBC Very true. Something to think about when buying a snowboard
@NoBigDeal I agree, it's something that I will consider whenever I buy new skis, they have to have a bright base and top sheet.
Both the snowboarder and the skier that saved him were experienced in the backcountry and had all their avi gear, probe, beacon, and shovel. Unfortunately, none of it was any use because he was buried so deep he couldn't move to get to it and use it. When you're in that circumstance, you can't self-rescue, and your only chance is someone else saving you. The only things that "might" have helped are an avi backpack or an Avalung (sp?). He was even boarding with 2 other ppl, but unfortunately, both were ahead of him, and by the time they got back to him, it would have been too late.
@@HawgRiderBC wow. Details that make a difference.
Thanks so much for digging out my old friend Ian, he was so lucky you were right in his tracks and just did everything right !
yo wait hold up hows ian doin?
watched some more vids ians fine!
I saw a short of Dylan Anderson narrating parts of this video and came to find the full video. I felt so many emotions watching you fight through the snow to get to him. I'm so glad you saw him and that you were able to get him out of there!! 😭♥️ I can't imagine what was going through his mind before you found him. I'm so glad he's ok!
Me too
Im glad people shared this legend saving a life, automatically anyone saving a life is a good person
@@trashcanman5591 me 3
@@Freegame4. my dad saved a life
@@trashcanman5591 your dad is a legend
How dark and helpless and claustrophobic he must have felt for however many terrifying minutes before you found him!
I crashed once and fell backwards in really deep powder, luckily face up, my head was downhill, head and upper body buried in snow, it was waist deep, and I floundered for a few minutes, clearing an arm’s depth of the snow off my face, struggled to pop off my skis and roll my feet downhill and climb out of the quicksand pit I made. Panic was brief but real, my friends were ahead of me out of site and didn’t see me crash.
Thanks for saving a fellow human! It could have been any one of us!
he could also have suffocated the longer he was in there. His breath could have melted the snow and formed an ice layer that wouldn't allow air to pass through
Holy shit Francis. You literally saved this guy's life. And it's not just his life... rather than a funeral you've given that man a second chance on life, spared his friends and family the terrible grief of losing a loved one and in reality the measure of how many lives will be affected by this single moment of amazingness is really immeasurable. Well done. Thank you for sharing.
Dil
Dil
Dil
Fighting off or digging out of or lugging gear through deep snow is truly the most exhausting thing I've ever experienced in my life. I could feel every ounce of incredible effort this must have taken - hats off to you!!
Makes me want to get back in shape just to make sure I have the ability to help someone if it ever randomly comes to it.
People forget that show is water, and when you making it more solid it has all the weight but it's also harder to move through. You see if when places that don't usually snow get random heavy snowfalls and you see trees literally just break in half and crumble under the weight alone. It's why its also a huge risk factor in cold climates, you have to regularly clear snow off rooves coz every square foot of snow is 4ish pounds.
You can literally see the moment when the boarder realizes that he isn't going to die alone in that hole. Such an amazing moment. Thank you for giving this young person their life back. 😢
I lost my dear cousin to a tree well incident at Bachelor. Thank you for stopping and helping this person out!! True hero!!
We miss you Nicole.
Sorry for your loss ❤
Sorry for your loss!!!
Thats truly unfortunate 😢
Sorry for your loss.
I board Bachelor all the time and tree wells are no joke. This guy is a hero. We can all learn a valuable lesson. Always ride with a buddy and watch out for others.
Nicole was our neighbor. Such a horrible tragedy. So great to see this outcome today.
This made me cry. The amount of luck these 2 people have is insane. Glad he was rescued.
We have different definitions of luck.
Ya the luck that had to find one another save trapped man’s life
Another commenter said it perfectly: The boarder had his most unlucky day AND his most lucky day in his life within 5 minutes on the same day!
I lost a good friend of mine at kirkwood California in 1991 who died exactly how this guy was trapped. There was 5 of us in our group 2 skiers and 3 snowboarder in 3ft to 5ft of fresh powder one of the snowboarders that day was legend shuan palmer. We all charging the mountain on chair 6 it was dumping. We got to chair lift and there was only 4 of us we waited and our friend who I have not named so to not bring painfully memories to loved ones. He was found after 7hrs and 15 ski patrols, search and rescue crew a small group of locals who volunteered to ski with the 4 of us tracing the lines where we started together that morning. Sadly we skied right over him run after run only until someone got a glimpse of his board. A scene I will never forget. Soooo stoked that this one in a million chance this guy seen his board is absolutely incredible you are a true hero. I have been in tear balling because this is exactly what happened that day but we dug out or friend who was dead. Seeing is powerful God bless you. Your a angel cause he would have died in minutes absolutely incredible.
😊
Your preparedness for the conditions and following deep snow safety procedures saved a life. We will share your video to bring attention to the many skiers and snowboarders who seek the thrill of deep powder unaware of the dangers and the responsibilities they have to prepare for them. Thank you Francis!
Fantastic example of tree well immersion and a perfect example of the rescue. Never ski alone when off piste, especially when there's a lot of deep snow. I'm a 55+ year skier, and this is literally my biggest nightmare. If there's ever more than a foot of fresh powder, I carry my beacon, probe, whistle, and shovel.
Edit: I've read elsewhere that the snowboarder was with 2 other snowboarders and had all his avalanche gear. But he was the last of the 3, and by the time the other 2 had climbed back up the mountain (if they were even capable of climbing back up the steep slope), it would likely have been too late.
He also didn't really get caught in a tree well. He went between two tight trees and was knocked backward by the trees, and then all the snow fell on top of him, burying him. He had avi gear and a walkie-talkie but couldn't reach them buried under that much snow.
Oh gawd!!!! That's absolutely horrible 😭😭😭😭😭 I'm glad he got saved nonetheless!! This shows that even coming prepared sometimes is not enough... Truly scary ( ͒ ́ඉ .̫ ඉ ̀ ͒)
@@harlekinmorow5081it's not scary. It is a risk one takes for going backcountry.
The level of stress you must’ve had before hearing that man say “yeah” must’ve been unreal!!! Even though I knew the outcome I couldn’t help but hold my breath! Wow! You’re a legend!🥰❤️❤️❤️
I'm honestly in bits watching this. You ask twice and then finally the Guy can answer and I just started sobbing. Beautiful work that Man.
I had to find you and tell you.
I hear you are now friends with the guy now. That's so cool.
As a non Skier, non snowboarder, Dad from Liverpool UK, I'd just like to say, if this is how you kids meet new friends then.....so be it.
I'm so glad you're both on this planet.
Never heard of a Tree Well until today. Incredible.
Love to all involved and especially to you for being 'that Guy'
Thank you.
Love from Liverpool UK
How to make a friends when you an adult - literally go dig some mo*****ukers out of somewhere. Expert tip: try to find alive ones if possible
Thanks for posting this. I have 3 reactions:
1) The boarder was incredibly lucky that you saw him.
2) He was equally lucky that, once you saw him, you were strong enough to get to him quickly, aware of how to respond properly, AND calm enough to stay focused. You were amazing.
3) "Ski with a partner" is usually of little value to the person in back. In this case, if *you* had landed in a tree well, by the time your partner realized you weren't there, it probably would have been too late for him to climb back uphill in deep powder, find you, and save you. I'm not sure what the solution is, but it probably means staying in constant visual or aural contact, which is very hard.
Sometimes it helps to ride next to each other. Or to hoot and holler back and forth.
In deep powder like that, we keep eyes on each other at all times even if that means stopping more often, or going one at a time.
Ride with sena pi Bluetooth headsets/helmets. Literally the best safety device ever
Ride in very small groups on pow days and wear bright identifiable clothing, not black or white.
@Seth Burke Hoot and holler it up! Especially if you're the rider behind. Easiest and most natural feeling way to keep in contact. I like to do this mountain biking too. If you're in front and stop hearing yewps behind you, probably a good idea to stop and check...
This is the most intense video I’ve seen in a long time. Amazing luck this skier took the exact path needed and actually noticed the down boarder. Bravo to the hero. The calm of the buried man is also amazing.
Lots of comments on a shorts video i saw of this mentioned that his calmness likely came from him already accepting that he would die there, that makes it so much more amazing to me that he was found and rescued
I know first hand how it feels when the seconds are ticking away and you are trying to save someone's life. That stress is like nothing else. I hope you have been recovering well from this experience. You are a Hero
I actually teared up a bit watching this... You're a hero, I can't begin to imagine the psychological trauma that man must have battled with while slowly realizing that he might actually die... You're a hero, and I wish that society would put focus on acts like this, instead of "pranks" and horrible lipsync videos...
I've watched this like three times and it brings tears to my eyes. I can only imagine how terrifying it must've been. You're a hero, man.
Has me tearing up also, so glad this turned out like it did.
I've watched it a dozen times and forwarded it to every skier I know.
I want a friend like you, Francis. You clearly fight for the lives of others. ❤
True
Francis, we all salute you. Your total commitment to saving a stranger's life is a beautiful thing to capture. God bless you and your household for all your days.
To the rescuer: you are the epitome of humanity at it's finest. Some might say you only did what would be expected. I would say you totally rose to the occasion, recognizing the emergency 99% of others would not have, jumped right into action doing the critical steps, and then completed the task, all while giving the boarder mental and emotional support in what was going to be a fatal situation only minutes from then. I have been upside down on skis at the bottom of an 8' tree well and got out by myself, but this gives me additional perspective on keeping my distance from them. Bravo to you, Sir!
With a board, you have much less range of motion to get your head above your board
@@zuggett that may well be true, I do know that it was a bitch to get the skis off when upside down
Is there air in a tree well? The boarder looks like snow was packed around his face but that would mean he was without air for several minutes, and yet still totally conscious amd calm...
@@WolfRider67 The snow is loose in the tree well, but as you breath the snow compacts. This means that you have very limited air under the snow before you begin to suffocate.
@@WolfRider67 it looks like it collapsed around him as he fell in
As a life-long firefighter, a long hat-tip salute to this guy. Literally saved his life, with exceptional composure.
From every snowboarder out there: past, present, and future I say thank you Francis,
This is a stunning combination of quick-thinking, skill and keeping calm in a truly terrifying situation. I couldn’t even imagine how he felt in those moments before you got to him. He had a few minutes. Incredible work, the backcountry is that bit safer with people like you.
Dude, my partner and I have watched this video several times and it gives me chills every time. We are avid boarders and we have raised our kids on boards. We always talk about how dangerous tree wells are, but I’ve never seen it. We will be showing this to our kids as a precautionary example. The boarder was amazingly chill. I would have been weeping to be saved. So glad everything turned out okay.
@T I would say he was most certainly chilled... Sorry I'll see myself out.
@@andrewlockhart841 I want you back onstage
In an interview Francis said the boarder was likely so unemotional because he was in shock and still processing the emotions of knowing you're going to die and then that changing, and also tired from trying to dig himself out and having low oxygen. But really the miracle is how calmly Francis dealt with the situation, not wasting any time or energy and also having the empathy to let the boarder take a breather (quite literally) once the airway was hastily established.
@@TopicalUsername this
Stop doing idiotic sports. For the love of your kids
New fear unlocked...I will never go into the trees alone... HOLY CRAP. You truly saved that boarders life. Take a bow sir. You deserve it!!! BRAvO!
Unfortunately, the best snow is in the trees. I take my avi gear (beacon, probe, and shovel) with me any time there's more than a foot of fresh snow, even on resort runs.
@@HawgRiderBC maybe take the trees on a regular year, but try to avoid them during a RECORD SNOWFALL year when tree wells are multiple times more dangerous!
@A N Find and watch the interview with these 2 ppl. He was boarding in the back country and didn't fall in a tree well. He went between to tight trees and fell backwards, and then the snow fell from the tree and buried him. Sure, watch out for tree wells, but the best snow is in the trees, and that's where ppl will ski. If you're a weenie skier/boarder, definitely stay on a groomed run, but there's no point for good skiers. And there's another reason for skiing in the trees, the avalanche danger is much less.
You can now live the rest of your life knowing you saved that guys life. What a fantastic human being you are!! Bravo sir BRAVO!!❤
WOW!! Talk about luck!
Excellent job Francis!!
The snowboarders number wasn't up.
You're his angel no doubt!
Hats off to the rescuer. He stayed collected the entire time and went right for the airway. It's common sense for backcountry folk to know this but we have to give props where they're due. He also managed the situation well even after freeing the airway. Great work and thanks for sharing!
You can hear him pushing himself to the limit of what his muscles could do digging him out. So much adrenaline yet keeping composure and talking to the victim. You should be proud for how you handled yourself.
Amazing rescue.. I can't imagine how terrifying that must have been for the snowboarder but also for you knowing his life was basically in your hands.
Holy shit man. You deserve an award or a go fund me or something. This is nothing short of amazing. I would love to see the rest of the rescue but understand you have your reasons for cutting it off. I cant even begin to fathom how hard it was physically to do what you did let alone the panic of saving someone suffocating. Mind blowing. You definitely are getting a like and follow but wish I could do more
I feel deeply shaken by how all the circumstances of your skiing lead to you skiing *right* over the top of this guy. Had you skied an open, clear powder line this man would not have survived. Unbelievable. Amazing.
Crazy seeing this from your perspective! I can't believe how close it was for that dude given how easy it would have been to miss him.
His buddy in red ahead of him did miss him! Just goes to show, one tree over and the boarder would not have survived.
@Joyce Johnson yeah, that was me. I stopped below the tree line and could see Francis, but thought he lost a ski.
@B Hall So glad it worked out well for all of you, and I'm not blaming here, just amazed by the odds.
Did boarder ride out or does he get a lift out of there?
@@LiftOperator52 he rode out and met his friends below me. The man was incredibly calm about it.
That was the most genuine thank you I've ever heard in my life.
It was for me too. It brought me to tears.
Thank you for saving this person and for sharing this. What a lesson to the rest of us
So glad you are riding prepared for backcountry issues with shovel, and eyes not just on your line. Wow! You are an amazing alert hero, saving your riding brother's life. Well done. As a Mom and older skier who loves back country, I salute you through tears of relief and joy. ❤
Wow!! You’re a hero. Francis, you saved his life. Thank you!
Someone died in a tree well when I was visiting Heavenly this year and I couldn’t help but think about how lonely it would be to die like that. You did a good thing and by sharing helped everyone else learn. Thank you!
Holy cow! I didn’t realize until the 2nd time I watched it that the guy he saved wasn’t the person he was skiing with! So incredibly lucky he saw him! I saw from another comment that he had already been there 5 minutes. So close to a tragic story. Amazing
Heroic rescue, truly. That said - if this boarder was "very experienced" then he and his friends would have known that you stay very close together in the trees. You pair up, and the following skier/rider calls out every few seconds, so the leader knows he's still there. If this guy had been in the well for five minutes, you should have heard his buddies close by, calling out for him. I see way too many people in back country conditions think that just because they've got the equipment - beacon, shovel, walkie, etc - that means they can ignore good safety practices. Not so. Your beacon is worthless if your buddy doesn't notice that you're missing until 5 minutes have passed. Things happen very quickly in deep snow and trees. So kudos to this rescuer, and to the boarder, hopefully he'll remember to actually buddy up the next time he wants to do a tree line in deep snow.
This is incredible. Instead of leaving the snowboard he checked up in it just incase and managed to save a man’s life.
You're the man!! I'm crying here. You're an absolute hero. Well done! That boarder needs to buy you next year's pass. :)
More like a “life”time pass.
this was unbelievable. should be a training film for tree well rescue. nicely done!
Fuck yeah man this is one of the best UA-cam videos of all time! I was digging away with the hero while I watched. Ya know some of us train for this moment and skier stud pulled 10/10 for awareness, assessment, agility, speed, method, resolve, heart, kinship.
BADASS
These 2 are friends for life I’m sure. What an experience to survive and be part of!
I came here just to thank you for saving that boarder’s life. Much respect from Florida.
That was the most intense skiing thing I have ever seen. So glad you stopped & assessed what happened, & got him out.
Yes, I would love to hear more about the story who both of you were, how did that happen, and most definitely what happened afterwards, you guys will be bonded and friends for life I’m sure!
You are an angel walking among us!! Thank you for stopping to save Ian ❤️🙏🏽
Holy crap. Absolute hero. Thank you for stopping and saving this guy, had you not we all know the most likely outcome.
I'm seriously in awe over this video. Quick thinking situational awareness the ability to stay calm and your preparedness saved this guy's life and saved his family from a lifetime of grieving
Same. My jaw is on the floor over this
The odds of you happening to stumble across that guy have to be incredibly low. That dude is so lucky to be alive, thanks to you. Can’t imagine how you both felt after all that. Great response to an absolutely terrifying situation 👏
If he was just one or two trees over he would not have seen him.
I would've stayed in contact w this guy for the rest of my life, he's truly this dude's guardian angel. The chances of everything happening the way it did is a trillion to 1.
@@funkfarmer7125 Give him time. It only happened around the end of February '23 and there's a lot of both of their lives to go, now that the rescue was successful.
ua-cam.com/video/UqnhOsxQxMo/v-deo.html
Unbelievable rescue, had me in tears. It was serendipitous that you ended up right there at the right time. He is one lucky guy, I hope you both sat down and regrouped for a bit after this. Bravo.
It was just not his time to die
You two need to be on a podcast to talk about this situation. This is a miracle and a blessing and the fact it was all captured on camera!!
Thank you so much for sharing this. Most people say they respect the tree well danger, but your video makes us all FEEL it. That person may as well have been buried in wet cement. You saved his life and hopefully, many others because you have shared the experience.
Gave me anxiety
Just searched it up, tree wells are a death trap
This video is going in my playlist to periodically watch and to pass on to others whenever tree well conversations come up. I think this video could easily save more lives.
Download it. UA-cam may take it away. I'm in my early 40s and I've heard of tree wells but never seen the danger like this before! Saving the video to show my ski buddies.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Thank you for being aware of your surroundings.
Thank you for not wasting a second of time.
Thank you for carrying gear such as a shovel.
Thank you for putting yourself at risk to help out a stranger.
as a snowboarder and a notoriously claustrophobic person, this has always been one of my greatest irrational fears. you, my friend, are a god damn hero and a true treasure. thank you, truly.
Edit: a word
I don’t think it’s that irrational 😢 please stay safe!
Holy shit!!!! You have to have a part two of this with you two having a beer together!!!
You saved that dude’s life!
From one skier to another, from one person to another,
THANK YOU!!
YOU SAVED A PERSON’S LIFE!!
Those tree walls are no joke... Thank goodness you spotted him!
Francis you have changed the world because you dedicated bits of your time in your life to save this pore man that got in a accident where he will die.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Mr. Zuber,
For 30+ years, Plake has been my ski hero (for personal and not obvious reasons). I met him a few years ago and told him why.
Seeing your situational awareness and immediate action, you have eclipsed him. You are my ski hero.
Coincidentally, I'm taking my youngest son to Mt. Washington Tuesday and Wednesday this week for his AIARE 1 training. He needs to be able to make informed decisions, and he needs to know how to do what you did. He's on the hill right now for his PSIA 1 assessment and when he gets home I'm going to hug him, show him your video, and make sure he knows your name.
Thank you.
Damn, moving out to Baker this year for a job at WWU. This really just solidified the importance of getting into an AVI training course and riding with experienced back country riders. You just save his life and that’s insane! You are a hero
I don't know know if it was but,this very well could have been inbounds on a powder day.
@@ratman19731 Very true. The person who died earlier this season was inbounds. Ride with a friend. Good to have friends on pow days.
Also happened to a buddy of mine at Baker a few years ago. He said he was starting to see spots and began giving up on surviving when he was pulled out by a guy who just so happen to see him take a sketchy run alone so he figured he'd follow him just in case. The guy watched it happen, and got him out as he was blacking out. That's how quickly you can die out there. I don't think he's ever snowboarded since.
@@ratman19731been riding baker for like 5 years now and I don’t think this is in bounds. There can definitely be this much snow in bounds tho
Don't ever go alone people disappear every year. Please 🙏
I’m from the Baker area, don’t worry, just snowshoeing for me, 😅 and you give me faith that there are kind souls willing to help. Don’t know how you saw him or saw him in time but you are incredible 🤟🏼
This video should be watched by all who venture in the trees to show what can happen (the boarder would have had zero chance of getting out on his own) and how to composedly react. Thank you for saving his life.
This is such an emotional video to watch. Tree wells are so dangerous and not enough awareness about just how bad it can be. Great work here; quick thinking and acting to save a life.
You are a true hero, Francis.
HOLYSHIT. great reminder why id never in a million years ski anything like this. I could almost not watch. my anxiety was sky high. Ive seen rescue videos but this one got me tearing up and rattled. Amazing job
You are a complete stranger and yet one of my favourite people. I can’t imagine the gratitude one would feel hearing your voice in what would be one’s final moments. A true hero!
This is why I will always carry full rescue gear when I ski, no matter what hill or conditions. You saved a life!
It's been said over and over, but I will say it again. You are a true hero!!!
This guy is a hero and the guy who was buried is lucky to have him see and rescue him
You have got to be kidding me! The chances of that snowboarder being found have got to be one in 100 billion. Seriously! Do you believe in divine intervention because I think that's what we just witnessed here. This is absolutely one of the most incredible videos I have ever seen in my life!!! My hat goes off to the man that found him and was able to dig him out before he suffocated. Just an absolutely horrifying yet, amazing video!
What a roller coaster ride! First 15 seconds I’m just amazed at the snow conditions, I love Baker!
And then you jumped into hero mode. Well done!!! My heart was racing just watching
Was thinking the same thing! I was so into the powder that I forgot this was a rescue. Literally saw the board and went "oh what the heck is that"
Can't get more real than this one
I've already called you a freaking Hero! on other channels. You're the man Francis!!
Amazing that you caught this all on video! I used your edited video (on the news station channel) to teach my kids about tree well and snow survival and safety…
That snowfall is insane, I pointed out how clever you were to use your skis horizontally when you could not even climb upwards in that powder.
I also told them to never buy a white snowboard (as mine is unfortunately white)… and to never attempt trees in such deep powder unless you can continue to see the person you are with.
Thank you for being such a wonderful example of a human being, for saving this guy’s life!
Spray paint 🎨 would be a great solution to the white board 👌
@@Skinnersteadratterrierpuppies nice idea, but it will just start flaking off…
Большое Вам спасибо и низкий поклон за спасённую человеческую жизнь !!!
Exactly what I was thinking!😄
Obviously this is being shared in all of the ski groups and we all hope that you're behind us if this ever happens.
Watching this literally gave me goosebumps!! This was so insane to watch! I cannot imagine the amount of adrenaline and probably also panick that went through your body..you’re a literal hero dude! You listended to your instincts and saved his life like a true guardian angel! 🙏
You are a legend my friend! You deserve a giant hug from everyone around the world for this. What an amazing thing you did!
You are a hero for saving his life and I commend you for sharing this as a PSA that may save many others. Most people look at me sideways when I carry my probe and shovel inbounds... this is exactly why.
The chances of you taking the same line and spotting him is insane. You saved his life!!
This is the best of humanity. Thank you!
Holy freakin' smokes!!! 😳
Can not imagine how not just you but the snowboarder must have felt
when he heard and felt someone digging him out. That was so intense,
my heart was pounding watching you dig down to free up his airway.....
.....you saved his life. 😎👊
Scary to think of what would have happened if you didn't find him.....
Incredible . . . and horrifying to watch. You were 100% brilliant. You saved a life, and gave us all a very impressive and important lesson. Thank you, and very well done.