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Backcountry Adventurers Work Against Clock To Save Snowmobiler

VAIL PASS, Colo. (CBS4)- A woman continues to recover after she was rescued by fellow snowmobilers when she crashed on a trail near Vail Pass.

Elizabeth was snowmobiling last week on Vail Pass when she crashed and became buried under feet of snow.

Elizabeth was rescued snowmobile accident
Elizabeth was rescued after a snowmobile accident (credit: CBS)

"Right away he said, 'My wife just crashed her snowmobile. She's hurt, she's buried and she has broken bones. And by the way... she is five weeks pregnant,'" said snowmobiler turned rescuer Karl Terrell.

The group Terrell was with stepped into action.

"She was buried in the snow up to her armpits. She took down three trees, two of them were lying on top of her but you could see her head. She was crying, she was in a lot of pain," said Terrell.

Vail Pass Rescue
(credit: CBS)

GoPro video captured the entire rescue.

"We were like, 'We've got to get out of this hole. We've got to get her out of this situation,'" said Terrell.

Rescue crews had been called and were on their way but the backcountry adventurers knew they were working against the clock.

VAIL PASS RESCUE 6PKG-_frame_1194
(credit: CBS)

"They were on the way with search and rescue in the helicopter," said snowmobiler-turned-rescuer Michael Russell.

Flight for Life picked up Elizabeth and she was rushed to surgery.

"My poor husband was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. He had no idea what to do," said Elizabeth.

VAIL PASS RESCUE 6PKG-_frame_449
Karl Terrell (credit: CBS)

Luckily for her she says her guardian angels were on the trail, too.

"I think I was just blessed they came up when they did," said Elizabeth.

She's recovering at home in North Carolina and says she's found a renewed faith in mankind.

"They saw me through to the end. They had been following up with me. I don't know how to say thank you enough," said Elizabeth.

The heroes say they were just in the right place at the right time, "Because we came prepared."

Elizabeth's pregnancy continues without any complications despite the trauma her body went through.

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