Skier rescues snowboarder from tree well in viral video

Man found lying upside down in deep snow in Washington state was at imminent risk of suffocation

Deep snow in the California ski resort of Mammoth. EPA

Harrowing footage shows a skier saving a snowboarder buried upside down in deep snow, with the rescuer digging the man free only minutes before he would probably have suffocated.

In the five-minute video, which has gone viral, headcam footage shows skier Francis Zuber spotting a snowboard sticking out of powdery snow beside a tree in the Mt Baker Ski Area in the western state of Washington.

Mr Zuber springs into action and frantically begins to dig into the snow with his hands until he can see the face of the snowboarder, later identified as Ian Steger.

After speaking to him briefly, Mr Zuber takes a shovel from his backpack and continues to dig.

“I was skiing a zone with a partner when I passed by a snowboarder upside down and buried in a tree well,” Mr Zuber wrote on YouTube.

“I only caught a glimpse of his board but it was enough to get my attention.”

The incident took place on March 3, but the video was uploaded to YouTube on March 26. It has since gained more than two million views on Twitter.

On Sunday, Mr Steger posted a photo on social media showing him and Mr Zuber skiing together.

“Grateful to be back on the mountain and to get a day in with my new brother [Francis Zuber],” he wrote.

“There are no words to express the gratitude that … I have for you. Thanks for saving my life.”

A tree well is the space around a tree under its branches that does not get the same amount of snow as the surrounding open space.

This creates an area of loose, deep snow around the trunk that can be dangerous to anyone falling into it.

If not helped immediately, those who fall in run the risk of suffocating.