Less than a minute into his descent through the Colorado backcountry, a snowboarder was swallowed by an avalanche.
Maurice Kervin was snowboarding on January 8 at No Name Peak near Loveland Pass in Summit County when he turned around and saw snow barreling toward him, he said.
«I was blown away by how big it was, and honestly just really grateful that I made it out alive, that I wasn’t buried, that I didn’t get any fatal injuries,» Kervin said. «It was definitely big enough to bury you, to break you, or maybe kill you. It was really intense.»
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The 25-year-old Denver resident not only survived but walked away without a scratch. He caught the adrenaline-pumping moment on video at around 1 p.m.
Avalanches are unpredictable and dangerous, and not every story ends as well as Kervin’s.
Over the past 10 winters, an average of 27 people have died in avalanches each season in the United States, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC). Last year, 23 people were killed in avalanches. The CAIC is the primary archive of avalanche deaths across the U.S., as noted on its website.
The Snow Formed «Shooting Cracks» Like a Spiderweb
Kervin said he realized something was wrong when he saw «shooting cracks» beneath him.
«The snow basically breaks into blocks, and it looks like shooting cracks or a spiderweb in front of you in the snow as it splits apart,» he said.
As the snow began to pull him under, Kervin said he used his airbag-equipped backpack to stay on top of the snow.
The air burst out with a roar, sounding like a huge amount of air pressure releasing all at once, as you can hear on the video. Snow rushed at him and around him as he tumbled about 1,000 feet.
«I ditched my ice axe and the camera that was in my back hand, and I deployed the airbag, which helped me float on top of the snow,» Kervin said. «I managed to lift my legs above the snow after dropping off a small cliff and stay on the surface until I came to a stop.»
When he stopped, the world was still «moving around me,» he said. «In that moment it felt really surreal.»
«I’m okay. I’m okay. I’m okay. I’m okay. I’m in one piece. I’m safe. I’m safe,» Kervin repeated on the video once he had come to a stop.
Kervin, a crypto investor and avid snowboarder, said he knew the conditions made the run risky, but he added that he spent time checking the state of the snow as he and a buddy hiked two miles to the summit. They felt confident they could make the descent.
«As anyone who has ever been caught in an avalanche would tell you, we thought we were safe, so we decided it was fine to ride, and it turned out it wasn’t,» he said.
Kervin called 911 and learned that a search and rescue operation was already underway, he said.
90% of Avalanches Are Triggered by People
Two people were caught in avalanches that day, and both were triggered by people, said CAIC director Ethan Greene. Kervin triggered one of them, he said.
«About 90% of the accidents we have are when someone dies or someone in their group triggers the avalanche, rather than a natural avalanche coming down on someone,» he said.
It is fairly common for a person to trigger an avalanche. So far this year, Colorado has seen an above-average number of avalanches, Greene said.
The CAIC had recorded 259 avalanches in Colorado this year as of Saturday evening, Greene said.
«In Colorado we record about 4,000 avalanches a year. Getting nearly 300 in a couple of weeks is a lot, but not unusual,» he said. «Because of the snowpack this year, we’re seeing more human-triggered avalanches than usual.»
Greene said it is easy to trigger an avalanche, but you can steer clear of potentially dangerous spots. Doing so takes a bit of preparation and planning.
«What I want to tell people is that they should check the forecast before heading into the backcountry, so they can make a plan for the day that fits the conditions,» he said. «A little preparation can also save their lives.»
Greene urges people to check avalanche.org for information about conditions in their area. He also said you need to carry the right gear: «an avalanche beacon, a probe, and a shovel» in case you end up in a tough situation.
«Once the snow settles in an avalanche, it becomes very hard, almost like concrete,» he said. «You won’t be able to dig yourself out. The snow is so hard that you’ll need help from someone else.»
Three skiers died in avalanches over the weekend before Christmas during a «particularly dangerous» stretch in a popular part of the Colorado backcountry, officials said.
Kervin, who has been skiing since he was 4 or 5, advises always heading out with a partner or a group of people when you ski.
He hopes that people who see what happened in his video will get the proper education and gear and find people to go with before venturing into the backcountry, he said.
«I’m not going to encourage anyone to try to do what I did. That was my personal choice,» he said. «Be careful in the backcountry, and understand risk assessment and where you are.»
