Narrow Escape from Avalanche: Video

“The slope suddenly collapsed, as if the mountain had rifted,” Henrik Jóhannsson, snowmobiler, tells mbl.is . He and his friend Bragi Kristjánsson narrowly escaped an avalanche that occurred right in front of their eyes on Lyngdalsheiði moor, Southwest Iceland, on Sunday.

The two, along with Bragi Hlífar Guðbjörnsson, had been snowmobiling near a so-called Hringleikahús — a popular area among snowmobilers. A moment earlier, Henrik had been crossing the slope, just ahead of Bragi, who had to accelerate to escape the avalanche.

The weather was good in the area at the time and numerous snowmobiles around. Avalanches are known to have occurred there before, including in January of 2016, when a snowmobile triggered an avalanche which buried three men and their snowmobiles in snow. All three were rescued and escaped without injury.

Sunday’s avalanche was about 100 meter (330 ft) wide and a few meter deep.

“We consider ourselves lucky not to have been hit by the avalanche,” Henrik states. “There was clearly thick ice under the snow, which is why the snowbank collapsed.”

He stresses the importance for snowmobilers to always bring along appropriate safety equipment and not least to know how to use it in case an avalanche occurs. Taking a class in how to react under the circumstances is essential, he notes. He and his friends have all attended such a class.

We invite you to watch the video above.