Avalanche
British Columbia native Sam Johnson was sledding with a group of snowmobilers in the Powder 8 area southwest of Penticton, BC near Apex Mountain Resort when he was caught in a human-triggered avalanche and partially buried, Global News reports. Johnson was descending into a gully between two mountains when several slides came down, including one behind him and another in front of him.
When he was caught, he barely managed to deploy his inflatable avalanche airbag, which is what Johnson believes saved his life. When the snow stopped moving, his lower body and sled were buried, but his shoulders and head remained above the snow due to his airbag which kept him on top of the slide.
His group was able to dig him out and they rode out of the area without any major injuries. Johnson is lucky to be alive and is aware how quickly the incident could have turned tragic.
