In its 51-year history, the state agency that studies avalanches never had to rescue one of its own employees from a slide   until this week.

On Monday, an unnamed forecaster with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center was investigating snow conditions near the Eisenhower tunnel when an avalanche several hundred feet wide broke and carried him away.

After he became lodged against a tree, buried up to his waist, he was able to slowly wiggle his arms free and reach his satellite communication device.

By the time he sent out his SOS, however, his coworkers were already en route. Because he'd missed a scheduled check-in time, the agency already knew something was wrong. It took five hours, but eventually, they dug him out with the help of a search-and-rescue team.