Avalanche Survivor Describes Ordeal

As Dangerous Slides Continued, Three Survivors Made "Gut-Wrenching" Decision To Abandon

(CBS/AP)  They were 11 friends, out for a snowmobile trip in the back country of British Columbia - land they knew well.

But a series of avalanches Sunday buried the group with little warning. Eight of the men were killed, including two who had become fathers a few months ago.

Today, one of the survivors, Jeff Adams, spoke out about the harrowing ordeal, reports CBS News correspondent Maggie Rodriguez.

Through tears, Adams described how the unstable snow on the mountain forced him and two others to leave their snowmobiling friends behind, knowing the chances of survival were grim.

Adams says some members of the group were trying to free a stuck snowmobile when the first slide hit, setting off a frantic chain of events.

"When I opened my eyes, I could see daylight. I was digging. I managed to get my mouth free. I was already choking, took a few breaths," Adams told Rodriguez.

After Adams freed himself, he called out to his friends. Only one, Jeremy Rusnak, yelled back. Adams eventually dug out Rusnak.

They then found a third survivor, James Drake. As they tried to dig him out, they heard the rumbling of another avalanche and scrambled for safety.

"As we were running away from James, he was saying, 'Don't leave me here. Don't leave me here!'" Adams said. "We kept saying, 'We're sorry.'"

Adams and Rusnak returned, found Drake still alive and were able to rescue him. But after yet another avalanche narrowly missed the trio, they decided it was too dangerous to look for the other eight.

"And that's when we had to make the gut-wrenching decision to leave our eight friends and start walking off the mountain."

Adams says slides were happening so quickly that survivors had to abandon their rescue efforts and go for help.

He said he was "truly sorry to the families" that he couldn't find those buried.

[blackyowe]

Nature is even more powerful than the finest sled. Respect nature and heed the warnings when the authorities say there is great risk. Stay home, good peoples least ye be covered over forever in a blanket of white. I am so saddened by this loss of life.

[hatesthecolt]

You are nicer than I am willing to be. I am so sick of snowmobilers taking there nosy emissions-spewing machines into the national forests and parks. They should be banned then this would not have happpened. I also suspect they ignored avalanche warnings. It''s really hard for me to be sympathetic.

[hunterdon6]

With record snowfall in the mountains, even though they were experienced snowmobilers and knew the area, they should not gone. There were probably warnings of avalanche danger, but people always say it won''t happen to them. God bless the dead and their families.

[mainemade]

Mother Nature will always win in any battle. May they Rest In Peace.