Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
30 January 2017 08:04
Mr Stretton caught the ordeal on his GoPro camera
An avid winter sports enthusiast had his life saved by a rucksack when he accidentally skied off a 150-foot cliff.
Devin Stratton, 25, captured the ordeal on a GoPro camera, posting the video to social media, which has now gone viral.
A backpack and two and a half feet of snow broke the fall of the avid skier, who dropped 150-feet down the unmarked cliff at the Wasatch Range in Utah.
Speaking to the Washington Post, Mr Stratton said: "I immediately thought about my cousin who is quadriplegic from a car accident and thought, 'I'm gonna be paralysed'. And then when I saw how big the cliff was when I was going over the edge, I thought I was dead for sure."
'One of the most terrifying moments'
It took Mr Stratton a few seconds to realise he was actually alive, he told the newspaper.
Once coming round, he began yelling to his friend to beware of the edge. He recalls being relieved when his friend approached on foot to help.
"Every time I looked up at the cliff, I felt sick to my stomach. I'm super lucky to be alive, or at least not hurt ... Not even a scratch or a bruise."
Anyone planning on hitting the slopes should take out specialised winter sports insurance.
Preparation for danger
Mr Stratton says he usually packs avalanche safety equipment, along with an ice axe and a spade.
However, recounting the ordeal, the fishing instructor said: "It's not just avalanches you're worried about."
Mr Stratton has been a keen skier since he was 14-years-old and has no plans to take a break from the sport. He has already been skiing three times since the accident last week and has booked to return to the Utah slopes.
"If I'm unfamiliar with the territory, I'm going to go slow until I know it really well," he said.
22 February 2019
Just half an hour of exercise every morning could be as effective as drugs at lowering daily blood pressure, research suggests.
[more...]
21 February 2019
A British man accidentally used the wrong passport to fly from Prague to the UK, leaving his friend stranded in the Czech capital.
19 February 2019
Hundreds of passengers have had their travel plans cancelled following the collapse of airline flybmi.
16 February 2019
Holidaymakers were left fuming after a "lack of clarity" over Brexit led a Romanian airline to cancel flights from Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.
15 February 2019
British Airways celebrated Valentine's Day with a special flight where all members of the cabin crew were couples who work for the airline.
14 February 2019
The "concerning" level of stigma surrounding the human papilloma virus (HPV) could be putting some women off going for vital check-ups, campaigners are warning.
13 February 2019
Older people living with depression should be given better access to community activities and therapy instead of being prescribed antidepressants, researchers have urged.
12 February 2019
The Government has been criticised for failing to act on warnings about the link between processed meats and cancer, by the scientist who co-authored the original advice.
09 February 2019
A grandfather who has battled three types of cancer is cycling from Twickenham to Tokyo in time for the Rugby World Cup - all in aid of charity.
08 February 2019
Lovers of traditional fish and chips are embracing a more health-conscious version of their favourite food, a new study suggests.
07 February 2019
Two thirds of UK adults don't know they're able to lower their risk of developing dementia, new research has shown.
06 February 2019
More than 600 people a day are quitting their jobs to care for relatives, a charity has warned.