Sunday, March 1, 2009 started out as just another average morning as the Lewiston crew of snowmobiling friends rounded up and headed down to McCall, Idaho to meet the 208 Productions camera crew waiting for their arrival.
There was discussion of the level of compromising avalanche conditions, so, as usual, the group conducted a gear check at the trailer that consisted of beacons, probes, shovels, packs, radio and NBSP.
Matt has almost no memory of the day, but the crew later said that everything appeared to be normal. Routinely, Matt always picked a small steep slope and cut it hard to do a slab test. March 1st was no different than any other ride, with this normal routine of checking the snow’s stability with a hard cut and no slabs broke that day. Everything looked fine, so Matt and his crew climbed a handful of hills and kept playing. During the week a fair amount of recent snow had accumulated on top of a somewhat unstable layer, so they decided to work their way to an area that seemed less prone to sliding as it was on the tree- and rock-littered side of the mountain.
Matt lined up on an average chute that he had climbed a dozen times. Camera was on, he rolled on the boost and out of the chute he broke into a side hill towards the top just as planned.
The mountain had a different idea this Sunday afternoon. It bit back hard. Upon breaking into the side hill, the wind-loaded face broke nearly three feet deep across the entire hill 25 yards above Matt.
As his film crew watched in horror, the wall of snow consumed him, tumbling Matt and sled rapidly off the rocky mountain. It finished by brutally crushing him into a tree, then burying him in a badly injured and unconscious state. The snow settled and Matt was left fighting for his life.
AVALANCHE!
Watch the harrowing avalanche video and hear a short message from Matt on overcoming adversity.
Man Down!
Today, after eight in-patient visits to five major hospitals in five different cities in the nation for 5 surgeries, 19 MRI's, 5 CT scans, and many other procedures, Matt is back on his feet. He has even occasionally been back on a snowmobile which as been modified so that he can drive it one-handed. Most importantly, he is back to being dad.
Matt’s left arm suffered severe nerve damage at his spinal cord and is currently paralyzed with no hope of recovery (outside of a divine miracle). He is learning every day to live life without two hands, and to be thankful for what he can do. He can still love his boys and invest in their lives, interact with people, and even get out on a snowmobile on occasion.
Matt broke many bones in his body, and the nerves that control his left arm were ravaged. Physically he’ll never be the same, but it didn’t break his spirit. "I’m living life again, healing more every day and I’m not done fighting,” Matt says. “'It’s always the final few steps of a journey that create an arrival.' I haven't arrived yet. God Never Let Go of me, I Never Let Go of life and this journey isn’t over. The sun always shines after the rain."
For more details on his amazing recovery battle, Matt looks forward to meeting you online or at one of his events.
To read the complete story of all the gripping moments in this life-changing fight and the powerful lessons learned along the way, be sure to get Matt’s book, Two Hands.
