# Tree well incident on film



## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

This was nearly a NARSID. The victim was a skier and he is completely fucked. If it wasn't for his friends, he'd be dead. The video is a little cheesy, and the rescue could have gone a hell of a lot better. Still, he is still breathing because of his friends. This is some scary stuff.


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## r1chard (Mar 25, 2011)

Wow. It is so good to be aware for NARSID and prepared with the right equipment and friends observing you. Some guys just aren't prepared at all. Leads to too many deaths.


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

God dammit, those guys remind me of these skiers I encountered when I had to dig out some random person who was face first up to their ankles in a pow drift. They flagged me down as I was coming down the run, and just kept pointing at the dude in the snow, doing nothing. I strapped out of my bindings and commando crawled up the slope to the guy, and got him halfway dug out by the time the morons side-stepped up the mountain (Take off your goddamn skis!) If those guys would have all just spread out and starting vigorously digging the snow out, they could have gotten the victim in the vid out way faster. If the snow is wet, when you fall in a tree well it compacts, meaning it's really hard to pull someone out.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Yeah, a lot of bullshit going on there. Definitely should have had quite a few shovels attacking that. In all though the end result was way better than if there was no one there.


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## gauntlet09 (Feb 15, 2011)

Time for him to find some new riding buddies.


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## bravo_castle (Aug 16, 2007)

For me it illustrated the need for a "leader" when performing a companion rescues, & dig as if lives are at stake (which is usually the case).


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

I know this wasn't the best executed rescue by a long shot. Let's still not forget that this was not a tragic ending. He was rescued alive. That is the one end result you want regardless of everything else. I'd rather have these guys save my bacon than not have them around at all in this situation...


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## tomtom88 (Nov 13, 2008)

That is absolutely terrifying.


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## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

Looks like they only had or used one shovel?


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## Zak (Jan 25, 2011)

if this happened to a boarder, and both of their feet were still strapped in, could they simply be pulled out by the board? or would it be better to dig them out with a shovel or other implement?
just wondering about these things; i've never gone in the bc before.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

In most instances I doubt it. You have to get the board off and then extricate the victim. There is a video out there of a snowboarder falling into a hole in a creek bed. He's pretty fucked too. A bit different than this tree well incident but if his friends weren't there he'd be dead.


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

Zak said:


> if this happened to a boarder, and both of their feet were still strapped in, could they simply be pulled out by the board? or would it be better to dig them out with a shovel or other implement?
> just wondering about these things; i've never gone in the bc before.


The problem is that when someone get plunged that far into fresh snow, the snow often compacts around them locking them in. You have to break the seal around them before the snow will loosen up enough for you to pull them out. Like I posted about earlier, I had to dig out some random guy inside resort boundaries on a deep wet powder day. He went in headfirst, resulting in his board sticking out of the snow - and pulling on the board was useless. I of course didn't have a shovel so I just dug by hand, (which works fine if necessary).


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## Zak (Jan 25, 2011)

hmm... okay.
i'm glad i live on the ice coast, so i don't have to worry about these things with a 9" base


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## SHREDDER97 (Aug 1, 2010)

Makes me think twice now if going in the backcountry at jhole is worth it with only two of my 14 year old buddies. WOW that is scary!


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## LuckyRVA (Jan 18, 2011)

I'm pretty sure if I were the dude who fell in the tree well I would flip right the hell out.


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## Zak (Jan 25, 2011)

the dude WAS flipping out. the problem was that nobody could hear him under 6 feet of snow.

...this is another advantage to having a hot pink base, is that it's highly visible against the snow in case something like this happens.


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## IdahoFreshies (Jul 9, 2011)

SHREDDER97 said:


> Makes me think twice now if going in the backcountry at jhole is worth it with only two of my 14 year old buddies. WOW that is scary!


I dont care how great said 14 year olds are. I would not feel safe if i was relying on two 14 year olds on a powder day like that. Go find somone who is ATLEAST 18 or 19 with a decent amount of BC experience and proper saftey equipment.



LuckyRVA said:


> I'm pretty sure if I were the dude who fell in the tree well I would flip right the hell out.


Uuuum im right there with you. If i was head first in a tree well that was over 6' deep, i would not be doing a good job staying still and not moving. I would be in full on panic mode. 


That is defanitly a scary video, it could have gone horribly horribly badly if it wasnt for his friends. I remember last winter i was riding deep woods on a deep pow day and i got seperated and stupidly ended up in this gully with no way out but to hike. On a normal day, i could have hiked up the side in probably under a minute. But with FEET of snow under me i made almost zero progress with every step. It took me a good 15-20 minutes to move about 20 feet. The worst part was i was all alone, it was the most hopeless feeling being stuck there.


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## SHREDDER97 (Aug 1, 2010)

IdahoFreshies said:


> I dont care how great said 14 year olds are. I would not feel safe if i was relying on two 14 year olds on a powder day like that. Go find somone who is ATLEAST 18 or 19 with a decent amount of BC experience and proper saftey equipment.
> 
> 
> Ya i have always been a little scared out side of the gates with just them. My dad hates also dislikes when i go backcountry but its just so fun. We have shovels with us and we dont go to far out . i have boarded for 4 years same with them so idk but regardless that video freaks me out!!


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