Snowboarder Blake Nielson was shredding down the slopes at Big Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake City, Utah filming a video when he got caught in an avalanche.
The scary incident caught over the weekend and showed Nielson go into survival mode once he realized he was in an avalanche.
Nielson said he tested the Kessler Peak area for instabilities before his run but even so, as he was going down the mountain he said an isolated wind slab broke loose above and below him which knocked him down to all fours and “took [him] for a ride.”
He managed to stay above the surface of the flowing snow which shot him down the mountain with impressive speed. Using swimming motions with his arms and kicking his board with his legs was he able to keep from going under.
In the video, Nielson is heard yelling over the radio to his partner … saying, “Logan, I’m sliding!! … I’m staying on top, but I am sliding!!”
Nielson says he was swept down the mountain about 300 feet before he was able to come to a stop, meanwhile, the slope slid around 1,300 feet in total.
It’s imperative to respect the wind, Nielson said in a report to local officials.
“Even a small ‘manageable’ wind pocket can break and carry you a long way in steep terrain with long runouts,” Nielson said, according to TMZ.