Avalanche Buries Hiker; Cell Phone Saves Him
Took Ian Rogers 45 Minutes to Dig It Out of His Pocket on Washington State Mountain, but He Got Through to 911 Right Away
Ian Rogers was rescued from Granite Mountain (CBS)
(CBS) Quick thinking and lots of good fortune saved a hiker in Washington State after he was buried alive in an avalanche.Ian Rogers, 23, from Britain, set out on a simple practice hike on Granite Mountain to train for a planned climb up Mt. Rainier.
Suddenly, he was knocked down by two waves of snow. He was able to stand up after the first wave, but the second one buried him.
Somehow, Rogers was able to dig down to the cell phone in his pants pocket and call 911 for help. It took him 45 minutes to dig it out.
Six rescue teams searched for him. The force of the avalanche had thrown him 100 feet off the trail in the Snoqualmie Pass. After five hours, Rogers was rescued.
From Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Wash., he told "The Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez Monday he came through it all in relatively good shape.
Rogers also told her which cell phone provider he uses!: