Point of view footage captured the terrifying moment a skier became caught up in an avalanche . Skiing with a friend in Revelstoke , Canada , Zach Birnie stands at the top of a mountain and films the surrounding scenery with a camera mounted to his helmet . After exhaling air , he begins to make his descent of the off-piste section of slope in a rather slow and cautious manner . Skiing off to the right , the man makes a controlled turn and begins heading back across the mountain – thick snow can be seen burying his skis . Suddenly he begins panic and while not entirely visible to the camera , a minor avalanche occurs behind him . Panicking , the man attempts to come to a stop , but the heavy snow continues to push him down the mountain . Zach Birnie stands at the top of a mountain with a friend and films the surrounding scenery with a camera mounted to his helmet . He begins shouting , which he later explains alongside the original upload of the video , was his way of making sure his friend knew what was happening . Suddenly the skier can be seen falling to the floor as heavy snow closes in around him and in a matter of moments he is completely submerged . What follows is hazy footage of a terrifying scuffle as the skier attempts to find the surface of the snow . Before too long the skier re-emerges – panting in shock as he catches his breath . The man begins skiing off to the right before making a controlled turn and heading back across the mountain . Suddenly the skier can be seen falling to the floor as heavy snow from the off-piste slope closes in around him . The skier , who was lucky to escape serious injury , later discussed the incident online . He wrote : ‘ [ I ] pulled my shoulder slightly , lost a pole , best , worst case scenario for sure. ’ Discussing the incident , Cornelia Accola from the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF spoke to MailOnline . She stated that while it is not easy to see why the avalanche occurred from the video , the amount of fresh snow and steep terrain could be to blame . In a matter of moments the skier , who shouts for his friend 's assistance , is entirely trapped beneath the snow . Re-emerging not too long after disappearing , the skier pants in shock as he attempts to get his breath back . She also gave advice on what to do should you find yourself in a similar situations . 'If you are caught in such an avalanche then try to escape out of the avalanche area , ' said Ms Accola . Let go of your ski poles , try to open your bindings , ( rarely possible ) pull your knees toward your chest and hold your arms in front of your face . '
jack Birnie films his descent of snow with a helmet - mounted camera . snow begins swirling around skier while he negotiates the off - slope slope . After being buried alive he manages to pull himself free from the snow . The terrifying crash occurred on the slopes in Revelstoke , Canada .