The airbag isn’t just for vehicles any more – it could save your life in the event of an avalanche.
That’s exactly what happened on one Whistler, B.C. mountain on Wednesday.
Australian snowboarder Tom Oye is lucky to be alive after his new inflatable backpack – a birthday gift he received last month – pretty much saved his life during an avalanche.
Because it’s 2017, the terrifying ordeal was naturally caught on camera, thanks to Oye’s helmet cam.
Since its posting on Facebook, the video has been viewed millions of times (and counting).
According to the CBC, David Cote, an area snowmobile guide, witnessed the tail end of the slide, which occurred around 10 a.m. PT. He had been testing the area for avalanche risk about 10 minutes before it happened.
“You could just see him sort of on the surface,” he said. “It’s hard to say exactly if he would’ve been buried without it, but I think he’s quite lucky that he had the avalanche airbag on.”
He said it was a risky day to be in the backcountry.
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