In a chilling Christmas Eve incident, two brothers snowmobiling in Utah's backcountry faced a life-threatening avalanche. While navigating the slopes of the Steep Hollow area in Franklin Basin, Cache County, one brother triggered a substantial slide, according to reports from FOX 13 News Utah and the Utah Avalanche Center. The avalanche swept him approximately 150 yards down the mountainside, ultimately burying him under the snow.

Fortunately, both brothers were equipped with essential backcountry safety gear. The buried brother's hand, barely visible above the snow, was spotted by his sibling, who utilized a transceiver to pinpoint his location. "I could see his gloves kind of poking out, waving," Braeden Hansen recounted to NBC News, describing the desperate search for his brother, Hunter. Braeden swiftly dug Hunter out, removing his helmet to ensure he could breathe. Hunter sustained only minor injuries, a testament to his brother's quick actions and their preparedness.

Following the harrowing ordeal, the brothers rode a single snowmobile out of the backcountry. The Utah Avalanche Center highlighted the incident as a stark reminder of the importance of checking avalanche forecasts. The area where the avalanche occurred, at an elevation of around 9,000 feet, had a known "persistent weak layer." Toby Weed, a forecaster with the Utah Avalanche Center, emphasized the considerable avalanche risk on that day, urging backcountry travelers to always consult the forecast before venturing out. The center also warned of widespread avalanche dangers in the mountains of northern Utah and southeast Idaho in the days following the incident.

This near-tragedy underscores the vital role of safety equipment and awareness in backcountry recreation, particularly during winter conditions.