A point-of-view (POV) video taken from inside an Alaskan avalanche has gone viral, garnering over 25,000 views on Vimeo just last week.
The footage was taken from the helmet cam of heli-skier Jeff Wyshynski, who survived the slide after deploying his Float 30 avalanche airbag from Backcountry Access (BCA). The camera captures the fractures shooting out from beneath Wyshynski's skis, then a maelstrom of snow and avalanche debris as he is swept away. A hissing sound and orange glow then signal the deployment of his airbag, followed by blue sky and Wyshynski's body on the surface of the debris pile. Wyshynski was uninjured, but broke a ski and lost a pole. To see the viral, unedited footage, go to http://www.vimeo.com/22250873 .
The video also resulted in the second-biggest day of traffic ever for BCA, which posted a link to the Vimeo URL on their blog and Facebook page.
“We're excited about all the excitement and traffic this generated,” said BCA co-founder and marketing VP Bruce Edgerly. “But what's most rewarding is that we saved another life.”
BCA celebrates at it's Boulder headquarters each time a report comes in with a live recovery, either with their Float airbag or Tracker avalanche beacons. “This one was especially emotional for us because you can really put yourself in the place of the potential victim.”
