Harrowing video shows skiers save man buried, suffocating in heavy snow

It’s been a banner year for “pow” for many U.S. skiers, but it doesn’t come without risk.

A harrowing video shows two skiers at the Palisades Tahoe resort in California very likely saving a stranger’s life. Only parts of a buried man and his ski gear could be seen peeking above heavy snow while he struggled to breathe.

“For whatever reason we stopped and happened to just see tips of the skis in the whiteout, and luckily we did,” video poster, Carson Schmidt said.

As Schmidt skied towards his friend, he spotted the buried man.

“Hey, are they good?” he said.

He wasn’t.

That’s when both skiers rushed to shovel away the snow with their hands.

The incident was on Feb 18, but the video has since gone viral and was shared by Colin Rugg on X (WARNING for language):

NEW: Two skiers save the life of a man who was suffocating under snow after getting stuck at Palisades Tahoe resort in California.

The skiers were seen stopping in the powder before noticing a ski sticking out of the snow.

“For whatever reason we stopped and happen to just see… pic.twitter.com/MuoN7GfMAI

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 26, 2026

“Just want it to be a reminder to ski safe and ski with a buddy,” Schmidt said on social media. “Doesn’t have to be an avalanche or a tree well to get buried when it’s that deep.”

Plenty of X users reacted to the intense scene:

Insane footage. Those guys literally saved his life by pure luck and sharp eyes. Huge props to them.

— The Elephant in the Room (@elephant_23) February 26, 2026

I took this pic 2 days later. Red circle is where that happened. Dude was lucky they stopped there pic.twitter.com/J1dCF867PZ

— Craig (@yzrider53) February 26, 2026

“Hey are they good” pic.twitter.com/aHWs5jdw84

— SexyStockSlayer (@SexyStockSlayer) February 26, 2026

We’re all each other’s safety nets sometimes without knowing it.

Showing up, paying attention, stopping when something feels off is not luck. That’s a choice. The luck is that they made the right one exactly when it counted.

— ̀ (@tolawestrn) February 26, 2026

It was a miracle to see the skiers heads through that white smoky fog. God sent them to the right place at the right time. It was a great lesson to never ski alone. Great job guys.

— Elite Man (@EliteMan091) February 26, 2026

It has been a terrible avalanche season all over UT and CA—a former colleague of mine is in a coma and on life support after getting caught in an avalanche on Saturday. Similar situation: others saw it helped them, but he was over 15 under the snow. Prayers for all of them.

— Cuz I am free as a bird (@gparz) February 26, 2026

A grim reminder that not everyone is as fortunate:

UPDATE: 6 mothers who ‘cherished time together’ among victims in avalanche near Lake Tahoe. The 6 who regularly traveled together for skiing trips are among the 8 dead. pic.twitter.com/dXxhAGK7s8

— Lfleezy (@LFleezy23) February 20, 2026

Have fun, but be careful out there.

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