A friend in need, indeed

Avalanche buries Valley snowboarder, buddy rushes to save him

Feb. 13, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH

Frontiersman

WASILLA - Friendship can be a lifesaver. Just ask Jace Coulombe.

On Feb. 3, Coulombe, 15, and three of his friends headed up to Hatcher Pass for a day of snowboarding. Heavy snowfall in the area this year has made for excellent conditions, and the boys were expecting nothing more than a great day on the slopes. What they got was a frightening lesson about how dangerous the mountains can be.

Along with Blake Weiland, 16, Levi Johnston, 16, and Dominick Nickles, 17, Coulombe had decided to hike up to an unfamiliar slope that looked promising. By late morning, the group had made it to the top and was preparing to head down. Johnston went first, getting to the bottom with no difficulties.

What the teens didn't realize was the heavy snows, combined with recent changes in temperature, had made the slope a ticking time bomb.

Coulombe was next to start down. The Wasilla High School student said things started out fine, but then the snow began to give way beneath him.

&#8220All of the sudden, the snow just broke,” he said.

Before he could react, Coulombe found himself in the middle of an avalanche, being tossed to and fro by a river of rushing snow. Then things stopped, and everything was dark. He was trapped.

&#8220I was a few feet under the snow, and I couldn't move,” he said.

Coulombe's arms were trapped behind his back, and he was unable to move. He could breathe, but barely, and was wasting air with each desperate cry for help.

&#8220Every breath was getting shorter and shorter,” he said.

Up on the surface, Weiland was the first to realize something was wrong. When his friend didn't surface from the avalanche, he immediately rushed for the area where Coulombe was last seen. He didn't know where to dig, but then heard mumbling from beneath the snow.

&#8220It was very faint,” Weiland said.

Desperately, he started digging. After a couple minutes of frantically clawing at the snow, Weiland uncovered Coulombe's hat. Shortly after, Coulombe's face was free and he was again breathing normally. By that time, Nickles had made it to the spot and helped Weiland finish digging their friend from the snow.

&#8220He got up and gave me a big hug,” Weiland said.

Kelly Coulombe is Jace's mother. When she first heard the story of her son's brush with death, she said she reacted as any mother would.

&#8220It still gets to me. I cried and bawled and everything,” she said Thursday. &#8220It's really scary.”

Weiland and Coulombe were already close, but Kelly Coulombe said she now has a special place in her heart for her son's friend.

&#8220When I first saw Blake, I said, ‘Come over here. I have to give you a hug,'” she said.

Kelly Coulombe said Weiland is now part of the family, and she's even offered to take the teen along on a planned family trip to Disney World.

As for the boys, everyone involved said they learned their lesson, and plan on being more watchful for signs of danger before hitting the slopes.

&#8220We're going to be more careful,” Weiland said. &#8220We definitely won't be taking that run for a while.”

Contact Matt Tunseth at

352-2265 or matt.tunseth@

frontiersman.com