'I Was On My Last Breath': Man Rescues Brother Trapped In Avalanche

December 27, 2024

Today's good news story comes from Franklin Basin, Utah.

A snowmobile trip in Utah's Franklin Basin on Christmas Eve turned into a dramatic life-saving rescue when Braeden Hanson heroically pulled his older brother, Hunter, from the clutches of a powerful avalanche.

man saves brother avalanche Utah
Credit: NBC News

The brothers, Hunter and Braden, were navigating the snowy hillside when the avalanche swept down, engulfing Hunter.

"I felt like I was in a washing machine, tumbled and then packed into what felt like concrete. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't do anything," Hunter recalled.

From a higher vantage point on the hill, Braden watched helplessly as the avalanche overtook his brother. Reacting swiftly, he activated his avalanche beacon, a vital tool that pinpointed Hunter's location roughly 150 yards from where he had been moments earlier.

"I could see his hand, his gloves, poking out, waving," Braeden described. But by the time he reached Hunter, his brother's head was buried under two feet of snow. Braden immediately cleared the snow around Hunter's head, removed his helmet, and ensured he could breathe. From there, he dug Hunter's body free.

Thanks to Braeden's quick thinking, the brothers safely rode back to base, shaken but unharmed.

Hunter expressed heartfelt gratitude for his brother's life-saving actions.

"I told him I was on my last breath," he said. "I feel very blessed and lucky."

Watch the video below: