Mt Matterhorn

We were all just skiing. I can not believe that day ended up being the worst of my life. You are probably wondering what I am referring to. Well, I could just give you a story from just me, but I think it should be told by me and my three friends. The ones that are still with us and the one who is not. What you are about to read is the description and dialogue from the go pros we were wearing during the avalanche on Mt.Matterhorn. If you do not like unhappy stories I feel you should stop reading now but if you really want to know what happened read on. The four of us on December 17th, 2014 took a ski trip to the alps of Switzerland where we were caught in a deadly avalanche. The wind was approximately 40 mph which I had wish I knew how dangerous that was then. These were taken at varying heights on Mt Matterhorn. 

Amelia Rogers Go Pro

She started her Go Pro at 10:14 on the ski lift with her sister Kathy next to her While. John and Nick being on the one in front of them.

Kathy: You are not even on the slope yet. Why are you starting the camera?

John: Because she needs to catch the boring crap.

Amelia: You mean the stuff we will watch and we’ll laugh at later.

John: Yeah okay

Nick: Be nice to your Girlfriend Johnny boy

Amelia looks down on the lift and you see how high up they are above the trees and glistening snow.

Amelia: Yeah be nice to me or maybe I’ll start thinking Nicks cuter.

John then blows a kiss to Amelia which Kathy deflects.

Kathy: Hear that Nicky my sister thinks you’re freakishly adorable.

Nick: Well I mean is she wrong?

The first two get off the lift followed closely by the others. Kathy runs to the slope.

Kathy: Come on Nicky you are going to lose

Nicky: I will not

Kathy goes down the slope.

Amelia: Little sister was always a cheater

Nick: Well at least I won’t lose to you two

John: Another cheater not even a count to three

Nick goes down the slope

Amelia: Let them cheat. We will be the real winners.

John: That is not how that works.

Amelia runs over to John and kisses him.

Amelia: Good luck kisses, for me how sweet.

 Then as she is about to go down the slope the rumbling starts. John grabs her from behind just at the moment she starts to go down.

Amelia: John? What going on?

John instead of answering grabbed her and throws her and himself into a tree right before the snow overtakes them. The go pro then shows Kathy and Nick down the hill getting overwhelmed by snow. While this is happening John takes off her equipment.

Amelia: KATHY!!

John: There is nothing you can do.

Amelia begins to weep and hold herself. John grabs her face.

John: Focus on me she will be fine just a few bruises.

A person from below grabbed her leg and pulled her down. John tries to grab her but fails and she went under the snow. She tried swimming motions to fight her way to the surface. The go pro headset fell from her head and tumbled down the Mountain. From the footage, whether she survived or not can be told.

Kathy Rogers Go pro.

Kathy turned on her go pro at approximately 10:18 A.M. Right before the four of us were to go down the slope. Kathy goes as fast as her skis can carry her to the slope preparing to go down.

Kathy: Come on Nicky you are going to lose.

Nicky: No I will not

Kathy goes down the slope followed closely by Nick racing leaving the other two behind on the slope. For the first few minutes starting at an altitude of 3,755m, everything was normal. Until a loud rumbling comes from the mountain which Kathy and Nicky momentarily stop to look at the moment and see snow comes towards them.

Kathy: Nicky. what-

Nick: Holy, Kathy Go go go.

The two race against the mountain but are overwhelmed by the snow. The camera goes out but later at 10:48 A.M.It comes back on. Kathy and her go pro were trapped under the snow.

Kathy: Hello?!?!?! Nicky! John! Amelia!

She beats against the snow. As snow fell into the pocket around her. She began to weep continuing to beat at the snow until she reached her hand out of the snow. The camera shakes as she shivered.

Kathy: God, I do not want to die here. Please.

Barks are heard as they come closer to Kathy’s location. The go pro then caught a black labrador digging and Kathy sighed out of relief. Rescuers pulled Kathy from the snow and took her to the ski resort and gave her coffee and blankets. The go pro dies. Kathy lived.

Nick Cortez’s Go Pro

Nick turned on his go pro at approximately 10:19 A.M. Right after Kathy went down the slope.

Amelia: Little sister was always a cheater.

Nick: well at least I won’t lose to you two.

John: Another cheater not even a count to three.

Nick then goes down the slope racing after Kathy. Catching up to her at great speed. The camera then catches the same rumbling as all four. Nick continues down the mountain longer then Kathy but stops to look back.

Kathy: Nick what-

Nick: Holy, Kathy Go go go 

Nick and Kathy start back down the mountain but neither was fast enough and were overwhelmed. Nick grabs onto a tree and tries to ditch his gear. In the process, he misses a person's skis which hit him in most likely the head and is knocked out and sucked under the snow. The go pro dies while he is still unconscious.

John Reeves Go Pro

I turned on my Go Pro right as the avalanche started to rumble at 10:20 A.M. Amelia is just about to go down the slope as I heard it. I run to grab her as she went down. I remember all I could think was I was at least not letting her die.

Amelia: John? What’s going on?

I did not have time to respond instead I chose the rude option. And threw her into a tree and then I climbed up. I took off my snow equipment and did the same to her as she scanned the slope.

Amelia: KATHY!

John: There is nothing you can do.

Amelia began to weep and John grabs her face.

John: Focus on me. She will be fine just a few bruises.

Someone then grabbed Amelia and she fell.

John: AMELIA!

I had tried to grab her but it was too quick. I watched hopelessly as she went away sitting in the tree. Eventually, the snow stopped. In my head, I knew I should stay but I ran looking for my friends. I remembered breathing heavily. It can be heard on the Go Pro as well.

John: AMELIA, NICK, KATHY!

Amelia: John I am here.

I saw Amelia covered in snow up to the mid of her chest. I got out my shovel and dug her up. Her nose was bright red and she was turning an unhealthy pale and her lips were blue.

John: Come on. I’ll get you inside.

Amelia: Did you find Kathy or Nick?

John: No but we need to get you inside it is up to the rescuers now.

I took her and myself to the resort Kathy came in later. Amelia ran up and hugged her. Amelia had trouble walking and I had to support her. The rescuers gave us blankets and coffee and gave the same to Kathy.

Kathy: I did not see Nick. Did you?

John: No we stayed on the top till Amelia got pulled down.

Amelia: I’m sure he is fine.

Kathy: The rescuers said I was very lucky to survive as long as I did I'm scared for him. They said they had rarely seen someone survive as long as I did.

Everyone makes another look around trying to see if they missed Nick.

Kathy began to cry and Amelia held her in her arms.

John: My Go Pro is still running that's surprising. They usually die in the cold by now.

Amelia: Good God John turn it off.

Amelia grabs it herself and turns it off.

That is the end of all the go pro footage. Short it may be but it still conveyed the story. In the end, I, Kathy, and my wife Amelia lived. The doctors said Nick suffocated under the snow but his chance of survival was already unlikely with the head trauma. The rescuers found and returned his go pro to his family. Amelia had also been given back hers. It has been many years since we have seen this footage and the only reason I show it now is so people truly understand what happened on December 17th, 2014 on Mt.Matterhorn.