Jason Rubio and John Sievers are two friends who went snowmobiling in Jackson, Wyoming, USA. Jason films his friend from afar down a hill at high speed. A decision that may have saved John’s life. He could see an avalanche triggered when his friend passed. John fell from his snowmobile and rode down the mountain, finding himself buried in the snow.
Immediately, Jason starts his own snowmobile to come and rescue his friend. When he arrives at the scene, he sees only John’s hand sticking out of the snow. As he tries to free him, John can be heard struggling to breathe, buried under a thick white layer. Jason finally gets his head out of John, putting his life out of harm’s way. It will then take 10 to 15 minutes to pull John out of the snow.
His reaction speed surely saved John’s life: after 15-20 minutes spent in an avalanche, the accident victim’s chances of survival decrease by 80%. The causes are multiple: asphyxia, hypothermia, traumatic injuries. “The avalanche system [de la motoneige] did not go off, explains John. I’m just really happy that I got out of it ”. For Jason, “it was a scary experience.”
In the United States, 45 people have died from an avalanche since 2020. In Europe, this figure rises to 137 victims.
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