A lifelong skier who was familiar with the local terrain faced a terrifying life-or-death experience when an avalanche engulfed him. But, according to the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, he "beat some serious odds" after surviving for "at least " four and a half hours.
Michael Harris was enjoying his favorite pastime on February 26 when things took a turn for the worse. The Washington native was solo skiing when he triggered an avalanche at Stevens Pass Mountain Resort in Washington. Whilst it was on the smaller side, the terrain meant he was fully buried.
The worst part? No one witnessed it. He was forced to lie there underneath the snow for hours. The Northwest Avalanche Center explained that he managed to create a "sizable air pocket" near his face with an arm during the chaos. He was described as sitting "semi-standing, bent at the waist in an 'I' shape with his head downhill... And one ski pressed against a rock."
But his guardian angel would come in the form of his wife of 30 years, along with his iPhone. Penny Harris was tracking her husband's movement with the "Find My" function of her phone. She got worried when his dot stopped moving, and he wasn't responding to texts.
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Harris' Wife Helped Rescue Him From the Avalanche
And then, she called the Northwest Avalanche Center, who rescued him within 20 minutes of her report. But he ended up being trapped there for "at least 4.5 hours".
Luckily, he was found with only minor injuries. He had cold exposure, a leg fracture and some minor internal injuries. This was truly a miracle, as things could have very easily turned grim.
According to the Utah Avalanche Center, "After two hours [of being trapped], almost no one is alive." Victims are only expected to survive within 15 minutes of being buried, due to the massive carbon dioxide build-up from breathing.
The report on the avalanche said that "the large air pocket created by the skier, the cavity near the boulder, and the soft snows surrounding the skier may have contributed to the fact that he did not asphyxiate."
Michael Harris is fortunately expected to fully recover from the avalanche within a year. This is great news!
