Overview
- Michael Harris of Bothell was swept by an avalanche in Big Chief Bowl at Stevens Pass and came to rest upright in a constricting snow hole.
- Penny Harris saw his location stop moving in the Find My iPhone app, alerted ski patrol, and drove to the mountain to meet rescuers.
- Using the app location and signals from his devices, patrol teams dug him out from several feet of snow while he was still conscious with a core temperature in the 70s.
- He was treated for hypothermia and injuries including pneumonia, a lung contusion, kidney damage, and a right tibial plateau fracture, and he underwent surgery.
- His family reports he is recovering, hospital staff nicknamed him the "Miracle Avalanche Man," and a GoFundMe is raising money for medical expenses.