Dog Trapped In Avalance Is Rescued By College Students On Skiing Trip

Jan 05, 2022

A pair of skiers are proving that there are still surely plenty of kind-hearted people out there. The two skiers dug their hearts out as they were on a rescue mission to find and save a dog who had gotten swept away by an avalanche and found himself trapped and buried underneath a massive pile of snow. 

Colorado School of Mines students Bobby White and Josh Trujillo were backcountry skiing near Berthoud Pass in Colorado on Dec. 26, 2021, when they saw an avalanche terrifyingly occur nearby. The incident ended up trapping a man’s dog by the name of Apollo.

The two students quickly set off into action, searching for the missing pup as they used their ski poles to poke at and probe the piles upon piles of fallen snow and debris. Nearby skiers also joined in the rescue mission, doing everything they could to try and find Apollo and save him from the mountains of snow. The college students scoured the area for almost half an hour before finally finding the area where Apollo was buried. All that was left to do was dig him out.

With cameras attached to their skiing helmets, White and Trujillo quickly got to work freeing Apollo from the mounds of snow he was under. A video of the rescue mission has since gone viral, capturing hearts of people from all over the world. The two college students have since been called heroes for their quick thinking and kind-hearted actions. Read on to find out more about how they successfully saved a dog following an avalanche.

Searching For Apollo

While White and Trujillo were backcountry skiing, they witnessed an avalanche nearby. According to The Hill, they encountered a man by the name of Scott Shepherd who told the pair that his group had veered off course, and his dog named Apollo had gotten swept away by the avalanche. ABC 7 reported that Apollo was actually the one who triggered the avalanche, and ended up getting swept away by the snowdrift over a cliff and through several trees.

The college students embarked on a rescue mission, with nearby skiers joining them in their search across the debris field that was 300 feet long and 50 feet wide, according to ABC 7. After poking at the snow for more than 20 minutes, they finally found where Apollo was buried. The moment was caught on camera, thanks to the GoPro cameras attached to White and Trujillo’s helmets. 

Trujillo exclaimed, “I found him, I found him, I found him! I can see him. He’s still alive.” White and Trujillo immediately began digging. In between tired breaths, White reassuringly said, “We’re coming buddy.” It wasn’t long before Apollo was finally free. According to ABC 7, the dog was fine, aside from an injured leg.

A video of the moment has since gone viral, with people praising the college students for their courageous actions. One person said, “I loved the way the rescuers dug so feverishly once they found him. Bless their hearts. We need more people like them in the world.” Another added, “Warms my heart so many people searched for this poor baby. I hope he lives a long and healthy life!”

Were you amazed by the heroic actions of these two skiers? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family members and friends, too.