Brothers survive avalanches after both fearing the other had been killed

Two brothers have survived avalanches while skiing, despite both fearing the other was dead. Brian Holmes, 26, was swept away by the first avalanche as he started to descend from the top of the mountain near Telluride, Colorado. His brother Alex, 27, watched the cascade of snow and ice sweep his sibling out of sight and was caught in a second avalanche as he skied to try to help him. Both brothers survived their ordeals but later told rescuers they thought the other had died.

Given the circumstances and nature of the slide, this skier is extremely fortunate

Sheriff’s deputy Todd Rector

In fact, Brian had landed on his back and was buried under the snow, with only his face and one arm exposed. It took him 15 minutes to work himself free of the snow, before he searched for an hour for his brother. However, Alex had extricated himself from the snow and gone to look for help. He made contact with search and rescue teams, who launched a helicopter search for his brother. During the search, they received a call from Brian’s phone and could hear someone breathing, although no one spoke. Eventually, Brian made it back safely to the town of Ophir, where he was treated in hospital for his injuries.

Americas avalanche brothers