Drone video captures amazing power of avalanche as it sweeps down Canadian mountain
VANCOUVER ISLAND, Canada - A drone pilot who was in the middle of packing up his gear for the day was able to get it back into the air just in time to see a powerful avalanche sweeping down a mountain and crashing to the ground below on Canada’s Vancouver Island.
Drone pilot Mactac told Storyful that he noticed the snow starting to sweep down Nahmint Mountain on May 2 when he rushed to get the drone back into the air to capture video of the mesmerizing moment.
"I scrambled to get the drone back into the air as fast as I could, just in time to catch a huge amount of snow hitting the base of the mountain," he told Storyful.
He said that while the moment was breathtaking, it was also scary.
"Even from a kilometer away, the sound was huge," he added. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get a view of an avalanche just meters above the snow."
Avalanche Canada said it issued a "considerable" avalanche warning across Vancouver Island on May 2.
And the non-profit group British Columbia Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA) shared the video to highlight the dangers and concerns of avalanches.
Dwight Yochim of BCSARA said the drone video demonstrated a "unique perspective to see the power of an avalanche and the damage it can do," according to Storyful.
"That kind of avalanche is bone-breaking, dangerous stuff," he told CTV News. "This time of year, the snow is just like flowing, wet cement. It would not be pleasant to be in it."