A couple of hikers near Big Four Ice Caves in Washington state's Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest barely escaped tragedy over the weekend by outrunning an avalanche.
Colby Dotson and Ashley Bechard left the main trail Saturday and ignored
avalanche warning signs, King 5 News reported. They were near the cave when they heard a rumbling noise.
"It was like a huge cloud of dust coming down, and I turn around and Ashley was like 30 feet running already," Dotson told the station.
"I heard something that sounded like a plane. No question in my mind, I just ran," Bechard said.
Dotson caught the incident in a cell phone video that is making the rounds on the Internet after being posted by King 5 News.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department also tweeted about the incident.
No
injuries were reported, according to The Herald of Everett, Washington.
Dotson told King 5 News that he would like to return to the area, but next time he’ll leave more space between himself and the caves.
The Washington Trails Association describes the area as "an easy walk on a wide gravel and boardwalk path" to view the caves, formed under an avalanche chute by melting snow, waterfalls, and wind.
The site also warns of the dangers of the area, where an 11-year-old girl was killed by falling ice in 2011.