'The sound was deafening': Victoria man captures incredible aerial video of B.C. avalanche
CTV
A Victoria man who captured rare aerial video of an avalanche on Vancouver Island says the experience was both majestic and terrifying.
A Victoria man who captured rare aerial video of an avalanche on Vancouver Island says the experience was both majestic and terrifying.
"Even from a kilometre away, the sound was deafening," said the drone operator, who asked not to be identified.
The avalanche, captured on a seven-minute video, occurred this week near Nahmint Mountain, between Tofino and Port Alberni, on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
The man was flying a specialized racing drone, allowing him to get to the avalanche and pursue it quicker than most aerial photographers could. But because he wears goggles to see what his aircraft is looking at, his personal surroundings are obscured while he's piloting.
"It sounded like it was right on top of us, so I was paranoid the whole time that the snow was going to come down the valley and up the other side where we were," he said.
"The guy I was with was getting sick of me yelling out, 'Are we safe? Are we safe?'"
The video caught the attention of the B.C. Search and Rescue Association, which said it illustrates the dangers that still lurk in the backcountry as the weather warms.
