Two Skiers Save Buried Man at California Resort

Two skiers at Palisades Tahoe resort in California became instant heroes when they rescued a man completely buried and suffocating under deep snow on February 18.

Carson Schmidt and his companion were skiing between the KT and Olympic Lady runs when something caught their eye. The faint tips of skis were barely visible above the powder, a detail most people would have missed entirely.

The pair rushed over and began digging frantically through the snow. Within moments, they uncovered a man who had been completely buried and was running out of air beneath the heavy snowpack.

The rescued skier appeared disoriented but alive once freed. Schmidt captured the entire rescue on video and later shared it on social media, where it quickly went viral and sparked an important conversation about skiing safety.

Schmidt used the close call as a wake-up moment for the skiing community. "Just want it to be a reminder to ski safe and ski with a buddy," he wrote. "It doesn't have to be an avalanche or a tree well to get buried when it's that deep."

The video resonated with viewers across social platforms, with many praising the rescuers for their awareness and quick action. Several commenters noted that if Schmidt and his friend hadn't stopped at that exact moment, the outcome would have been tragic.

Why This Inspires

This rescue highlights something powerful about human instinct and awareness. Schmidt and his companion could have easily skied past those barely visible ski tips, dismissing them as abandoned equipment or debris.

Instead, they trusted their gut, stopped to investigate, and saved a life. Their quick thinking transformed what could have been a fatal accident into a story of hope and heroism.

The incident also shines a light on snow immersion suffocation, a lesser-known danger that doesn't require an avalanche or tree well to become deadly. In deep powder conditions, a simple fall can result in complete burial within seconds, making the buddy system essential rather than optional.

Skiing experts emphasize that this type of accident is more common than many realize, particularly during heavy snowfall seasons. Having someone nearby to notice when something goes wrong can mean the difference between life and death.

Schmidt's decision to share the video wasn't about going viral but about keeping other skiers safe. Sometimes the best way to prevent tragedy is to show how close it came to happening.