Professional free skier Jacob Wester, 38, survived a 75-second avalanche in Norway's Lyngen Alps in March, emerging with broken ribs and a snapped femur. The ordeal, which he described as feeling like "falling for ever," ended with him buried to his waist, shouting into his microphone: "I'm alive!"
Avalanche triggered during sunset ski descent
Wester, who grew up in Sweden and became a professional free skier as a teenager, was filming extreme ski videos with his photographer wife, Sofia, near the Lyngen Alps in northern Norway. After days of rain, fresh powder and clear skies finally allowed them to plan a descent as the sun set. He climbed to the summit with a friend, Lovisa, while Sofia filmed from below using a drone.
Despite cloud cover at the summit, Wester suggested skiing down for fun. He tested the snow stability by digging into it, and finding it stable, they began a slow zigzag descent, with Wester in the lead. Once through the clouds, they enjoyed views of orange skies and blue fjords.
Caught in the slide, tumbling toward a 20-metre drop
A dark line shot out from under Wester's skis—a deep crack in the surface. His movement had triggered a slab avalanche. Lovisa, above him, was safe, but Wester knew he couldn't outski the fast-moving snow. He spotted rocks to the side and dug his poles in, but hit something under the snow, and his skis pinged off. He was heading toward a 20-metre drop.
He tumbled, alternating between darkness and light as he was pushed deep into the snow and circled back to the surface. He frantically dug his poles and boots into the slope to slow down, but then became weightless. He felt as if he were falling for ever, though the drop lasted less than two seconds. Curling into a foetal position, he thought he was about to discover what it felt like to die.
Crash landing and fight to stay on the surface
Instead of blackness, there was an incredible impact. He crashed onto a thin layer of snow littered with ice and rocks, the air knocked out of his lungs and his right leg buckling painfully. He thought: "I'm not dead." As the snow continued to push him down the slope, he checked himself, moving his toes to confirm his back wasn't broken. His leg was numb, but his pelvis felt intact.
Knowing he had to stay near the surface to avoid being buried, he kicked toward the surface, fueled by adrenaline. He slowed to a stop in a sitting position, buried to his waist. He shouted into his mic: "I'm alive! But I need help."
Rescue, surgery, and recovery
Lovisa reached him in 10 minutes, navigating the rocky cliff face and sections of pure ice. Minutes later, Sofia and two friends arrived with blankets and hot-water bottles. Both Sofia and Lovisa had watched the avalanche overwhelm him and endured an agonizing wait. The audio recording showed the entire ordeal lasted just 75 seconds.
A rescue helicopter flew him to the nearest hospital, where X-rays confirmed broken ribs and a snapped femur. He underwent surgery to pin his leg and spent three days in hospital, feeling like a celebrity as everyone wanted to meet the avalanche survivor.
Wester is currently recovering in Stockholm and plans to return to the slopes next year. He acknowledged that avalanches and accidents are part of the deal one strikes with the mountain, having lost friends before. He said he is grateful to be alive to tell his story.
