What was meant to be a snowmobile ride turned into a survival drama, and a story of courage and connection between father and son
A weekend adventure in the mountains west of Midway nearly ended in tragedy when a snowmobile outing between father and son triggered an avalanche. Ryan Poelman, 48, and his son, Dodge Poelman, had been exploring a remote area for several hours when everything changed in an instant. Despite the scare — and the injuries — they’re already planning to return to the snow next winter.
Dodge Poelman clearly remembers the moment when joy turned into fear. “Famous last words, right? ‘One more time,’” he said, recalling the instant his father accelerated over a ridge just before the avalanche began.
From the bottom of the hill, Dodge realized the danger and tried to escape. “I started my snowmobile, turned around, and tried to get away,” he said. But it was too late — he was swallowed by the snow.
Buried under the avalanche, Dodge faced seconds of darkness and silence. “Obviously, like, silence. Right? It’s dark,” he recalled. Fortunately, he was only 6 to 10 inches from the surface. He managed to free himself quickly — but the panic returned when he realized: where was his father?
“We have radios, so I call him. He doesn’t respond,” he said. Soon, Dodge spotted his father’s helmet, motionless, bent over a tree. “I thought he was dead. He wasn’t moving. He wasn’t responding. So I started screaming, took off my helmet, and started running.”
Ryan Poelman regained consciousness shortly after, and Dodge wasted no time. “I grabbed my shovel, dug him out, and laid him on his back,” he said. The rescue team took hours to arrive. Ryan suffered several broken ribs and other injuries but is expected to fully recover.
Looking back on the experience, Dodge has no doubt: “I believe in miracles. I believe this was a miracle.” And despite the danger, his passion for the sport remains intact. “I love snowmobiling. I love adventure sports,” Dodge said. “My dad’s going to be here for a few more months, which means he’ll be snowmobiling with me next year.”
Source and images: RideApart / Instagram kslnews/ Dodge Poelman. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
