An ordinary day can turn into something unforgettable, which is precisely what happened to Francis Zuber.
The 28-year-old man from Bellingham is a skiing fan and always looks for the best places to ski with his friends. He was out skiing along Washington’s Mount Baker when he caught sight of a snowboard sticking out of the snow.
He instantly stopped in his tracks, went to the place where the snowboard was, and saw an unexpected scenario. It appeared that someone got stuck in there and was in need of help.
Upon realizing that someone is in danger, Francis immediately sprung into action.
He was quick to dig the snow as fast and as strongly as he can. He was not sure how long the person had been in there and was hoping so hard that he was not too late. He did his best to dig continuously to finally grab the person buried underneath the thick snow.
At long last, Francis finally succeeded to locate the man’s face and removed all the impeding snow that suffocated him. Francis was glad to be there just in time to reach for the man who already thought he was going to die there all alone.
Everything that unfolded in this heart-stopping scene was caught by the camera that Francis was wearing.
In the video which was later on uploaded online, Francis can be heard saying “Are you all right?” to the stranger whose life he just saved. The man’s name is Ian Steger, a snowboarder who accidentally fell into a tree well.
When Francis saw the snowboard, he knew something was not good. It was a good thing that he has been skiing for 24 years of his life and had all the proper gear to help another person from the snow.
Francis feared he would not be able to save Ian.
“I sunk into the snow and realized that me getting to him is going to just be a huge effort. I was really scared I was not going to be able to get to him in time,” he shared.
He had to dig very quickly and strongly, so he could get as much snow as he can and make room for the man underneath to breathe properly. It was a challenge, and the video clearly showed that Francis was scared but he was doing his best to keep calm and do what he must save the other man.
Ian had a small air pocket and he was also trying to keep his calm while waiting for Francis to finally get him out of there. A few moments later, the man finally succeeded and made a bigger space for Ian to breathe in.
After making sure that they have caught up with their breaths, Francis then pulled a shovel to dig in the surrounding snow.
“I cleared enough around him, had him grab onto my arm and pulled him out,” says Francis. “The first thing I did was just give him a big hug.”
It was a successful rescue, but something that Francis hoped he’d never have to do again.
“This was my first rescue and hopefully my last, so I won’t ever have to do it again,” Francis says further. “Saving someone’s life is quite a thing to have happened to you and for him to be this great person is just really awesome.”
Ian, on the other hand, is full of gratitude for his rescuer.
“There are no words to express the gratitude that I have for you,” he said in a social media post. “Thanks for saving my life.”
Know more about this inspiring story by watching the video below.
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