Quebec snowboarder describes how he survived avalanche in Chic-Choc Mountains

Andréanne Mory was standing at the bottom of a mountain when she saw the thick layer of snow detach just above where her partner, Bruno Ostiguy, was about to snowboard.

The couple was on the final day of their 10-day trip to Quebec's Gaspé region, known for its rugged beauty and deep snow. Ostiguy was on the Mur des patrouilleurs on Mount Albert in the Gaspésie provincial park when he heard a loud rumbling.

"It sound[ed] like a truck… Like you hear in the movies," said Ostiguy.

On his walkie-talkie, he heard his girlfriend, who was in a hut at the foot of the mountain, trying to warn him in time: "there is an avalanche, a big avalanche."

Ostiguy, who was standing on a rock with his snowboard strapped to his back, looked around to see what his options were.

"It was too dangerous for me to jump down the rock. So I just watched … as the snow dropped on me," said Ostiguy. "When the snow punched me on my back… I think my snowboard protect[ed] me."

Ostiguy says he was projected into the air but was lucky enough to land on soft snow which prevented him from breaking an arm or a leg. He walked away with bruises and a cut to his hand.

Ostiguy was one of three people injured over the weekend. He was transported and treated by emergency and evacuation crews after the avalanche occurred at 3 p.m. Saturday. Crews reported no one was missing and Avalanche Québec is continuing its field research to understand what happened.

The day of the avalanche, the organization was conducting tests in the Grande Cuve (French for large bowl) area, located about five kilometres from the Mur des Patrouilleurs (French for patrollers' ridge).

Charles-Antoine Wild, assistant director of Avalanche Québec, says it is still too early to tell if there is a