Friends rescue man buried in snow while skiing at Palisades Tahoe, video shows

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (KGO) -- We're learning more about an incredible rescue that was caught on camera at Palisades Tahoe.

Two skiers are credited with saving a man's life after they found him buried in deep snow last week.

Their story serves as a reminder for skiers and snowboarders to be prepared.

It was all caught on camera when Carson Schmidt and his ski buddy Erik Masuda dug out a skier trapped under several feet of snow at Palisades Tahoe during whiteout conditions on Feb. 18.

The two are avid skiers who work at Land Park Ski and Sports in Sacramento.

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After a seven-hour drive from Sacramento, Schmidt and Masuda finally made it to the mountain for their first run of the day.

Schmidt and Masuda were recording their run between the KT and Olympic Lady chair lifts, when something stopped them in their tracks. In poor visibility, they just happened to see skis sticking out of the snow.

When they rushed closer, they realized it was a skier, with his face and most of his body buried in snow.

"I see ski tips and next thing you know, you just kind of go into 'go mode' and just dig them out until you can find his face," Schmidt said.

The conditions were treacherous that day, with deep snow and low visibility.

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"I think if you're struggling at all, you run out of breath really fast. I think the video shows when we uncovered his face, his mouth was stuffed with snow. I used my finger to unclog his mouth. And you hear a big gasp for air. And I don't know if the video shows clearly, but the shade of his face was purplish blue. He was definitely running out of oxygen," Masuda said.

They were scary moments for everyone involved, when seconds and minutes mattered.

Schmidt said that timing was key because others who went down the mountain didn't see the man trapped in the snow.

"I thank God we were there, because you see the person behind him just ski past. No one could have stopped, and he could still be stuck there. It was really deep, so I'm super grateful we were there," Schmidt said.

The man was able to get up and ski back down the mountain.

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"It was emotional at the time. We were, like, that was close. He was, like, 'That was the most scared I'd ever been.' The adrenaline was flowing for us," Masuda said. "I think he was in shock. I gave him a big hug, and he was like, 'I have to find my wife.' He was worried and, understandably, knew it was getting close," Masuda said.

They said the man didn't give them his name, because he was in a rush to get back to his wife.

Schmidt and Masuda said this is a good reminder to always ski with a buddy and to have safety equipment.

"Deep snow, it's the great equalizer," Schmidt said.

He said that terrain is pretty advanced, and the deep snow only emphasized that.

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"Everybody needs to be aware. When you go out in that deep snow, you need to ski with a partner, and you need to be trained. You need to have a shovel probe. You need to have all the right stuff," Schmidt said.

Palisades Tahoe calls the men heroes for their effort in this situation, providing ABC7 Eyewitness News with this statement:

"On Wednesday, February 18th, the snow was exceptionally deep. We want to thank Carson Schmidt for his quick thinking and heroism in looking out for others while skiing at our resort.

Deep storm days are incredible, but they also come with some added risk. Carson said it best in his post: always ride with a buddy. When conditions are this deep, it doesn't take an avalanche or a tree well for someone to become buried. Snow immersion can happen even in open terrain.

Our ski patrol team is constantly monitoring and patrolling the mountain, working to mitigate all possible danger. But on deep days especially, it's crucial that everyone takes responsibility for looking out for one another.
Please ride with a buddy, stay within sight of your group, and make smart decisions. It could save someone's life."

CNN contributed to this report.