You're lucky you got out of that speeding ticket. You're lucky you got the part. You got lucky with that waitress last night? You're lucky I don't tell your wife. There are few things in life more varied and subjective than luck. The heliskier who gets buried under an avalanche in this video, but lived to tell about it, is lucky in the following ways:

Avalanche Skier POV Helmet Cam Burial & Rescue in Haines, Alaska from Chappy on Vimeo.


  • He was wearing an AvaLung, a device that allows you to extract oxygen from snow and breathe while trapped underneath it. Even though he didn't have it completely in his mouth, he was still able to breathe.
  • He didn't fall off a cliff or sustain any serious bodily trauma, even though he wasn't wearing one of these awesome avalanche airbags.
  • His second glove came off and was resting on top of the snow mere feet from where he was buried.
  • His buddies saw the glove and had him dug out in about four and a half minutes. Unheard of.
  • He was wearing a helmet cam, thus allowing him to become a minor internet sensation