# Surviving a bad break



## nutmegchoi (Feb 10, 2016)

I'm not trying to scare off anybody.
Just wanted to share this story as awareness. 

"Surviving a bad break: Free helicopter service saves backcountry skier injured in avalanche"


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Thanks for posting, that's a good story! As an on hill rescue person, I know how long it can take us to get people into an ambulance. And this is what they're skiing in bounds, we have instant communication, and a large team of rescue personnel available to assist in minutes. People still die.

This is what keeps me out of the backcountry for now. I know that even a broken ankle, torn ACL, etc. could be fatal in the right (wrong) circumstances.

That said, the wife and I are doing our AST1 course with the patrol in a few weeks, and will do AST2 next year. I still think I'll likely stick to terrain that's uphill from a major centre (without a long hike back out).

In a pinch, if you could make a makeshift toboggan, and strap your patient to it, you'd have a chance of getting them out.


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## nutmegchoi (Feb 10, 2016)

I've never done backcountry before, but it is definitely something I want in the future.
For now, I'm just trying to learn as much as possible.
One day when I can snowboard or ski any trails at Jackson comfortably (this includes Corbet's), that's when I'll start getting ready for the first venture.
Even then, I want all proper gear, take at least AST1, done some climbing, have experience buddies or guide.
I still have some years to get ready. :smile:


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Interesting read.
He mentions a very important thing: exercise the motion of triggering the airbag. I try to repeat that motion each time on the hill in the hope, it's written deep down in the muscle memory when needed.

What I fear most is the cold if trapped injured... Heli rescue is standard in Swiss alps, but what if the weather doesn't allow them to fly? After I had wittnessed how cold one can get waiting for a rescue heli for a buddy with a torn knee only for some hours in the shade and exposed to wind? I had added a heating blanket (those handwarmer thingies, just bigger) to my standard BC kit which actively spends warmth; I know I wouldn't stay warm enough - injured n motionless - an entire night just using the survival bag to spend a night outdoors which is also part of the kit. And extra batteries. Phones always die too quickly.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Yeah I've done a fair bit of backcountry camping (in the summer) and even then an injury can get very dangerous. Add in freezing weather, extremely difficult walking conditions, and an extreme sport to the mix and the risk factor goes way up.

Add avalanche terrain into that and we end up with news stories, and people dying who shouldn't (we lost a patroller last year on his day off, caught in an avalanche and his injuries got him before he could be transported to medical help).

I'm taking AST1 this year partly to get on the avalanche crew at my hill. But also because I'd like to start backcountry boarding in the future. The great thing about Calgary is there are good groups that I could go with that have a lot of experience in the terrain, and the knowledge to go with it.

That said, so did my patroller friend who died. The risk is higher out of bounds, so I hope I will know enough to use good judgement and turn around when things aren't quite right.

One thing I notice here in Alberta is a trend around avalanche deaths. Usually there's a warning issued, and then a few days later there are some snowmobile or ski/snowboard related deaths.


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## nutmegchoi (Feb 10, 2016)

What shocked me was only 20 percent of people wearing an air bag pull the cord when involved in an avalanche?

Practice.
Practice over and over and over again.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

A few things. poutenen a rescue sled is in reality not of much use to get a person out. They are more or less used to get a person to a clearing for a heli evacuation. If you are close to a trail head, you might be able to use it to get a person out. Another situation is to shorten the gap to get to that next level of care such as an S&R group coming up a known trail. If you are less than a mile out, it is feasible that it could work for an evac. Otherwise you are going to need additional help if your victim is that immobile that you need a sled. I think you know this, but I just want it out there.

nutmegchoi, I am unsure of that 20% stat. Airbags are pretty easy to activate if they are in the deploy mode. That means you have to have the trigger handle out, not zipped up in the shoulder sleeve. You also need to be wearing the harness strap. A person in Canada was killed by his airbag 3 years ago now I believe. That person's group was skinning up a ridge when it released. He had his handle out but was not wearing the harness strap that keeps the pack from rising over your torso. He deployed the bag when he was swept up in the avalanche. He did come out on top of the snow. Unfortunately the pack was pulled over his head, squeezing his arms over his head. This cut off his carotid artery and he perished due to lack of blood flow. His partners had to rescue themselves and were not able to get to him in time. 

When properly used airbags work great in open alpine terrain. In tree'd terrain, it is pretty easy to shred an airbag.

Back to the 20% stat. The Sheep Creek avalanche on Loveland Pass that took five lives. Most if not all of them had airbags. None of them had them ready to deploy. The statements about the airbags not helping is rather untrue. They never got to try them. I also think this sort of accident is probably contributing to that 20% stat. I would like some clarification as to where they got that.

Decision making is ultimately what decides if you come home safely in avalanche terrain. This story is a classic case of "I skied this last week, it's fine". Ignoring obvious clues that maybe you should play more conservatively. Not the least of which is a persistent weak layer issue. When I see that on the avy report, there is a whole mess of terrain that I won't venture into. Persistent weak layers tend to break larger than expected and even wrap around features. You can't mitigate or test them with things like slope cuts. Snow pits might give you some clues, but it's hard to pick up on what you are getting without a ton of experience. Even then, you are rolling the dice. Part of the problem is, these can be a low chance of happening but high consequence. A lot of people ride that slope without incident, then the next person to go triggers a huge avalanche. So did those people who rode it with no problem get away with something or make a good decision? The same can be said about a slope that did nothing. Communication is key. Talk about what you are seeing with your group. Make sure you discuss what you are going to do before you drop in and stick to that plan. I can't tell you how many people get into trouble because they talk about what line they are going to do and then punt last second and change it up. This cost a friend of mine's life. 99% of the time you can just take the path that used to get there back to safety. 

Yes, carry the gear. You should never go out without a beacon, shovel, probe. Even if you are by yourself. If you get caught in an avalanche, are buried and killed, at least you'll make the job for search and rescue easier. They will be able to locate you and bring your body home for your family to lay to rest. You might be able to use the gear to free yourself. If you come upon and avalanche accident, where another party has a victim, you will be able to assist. Without this gear, you can't. Airbags, avalungs, are additional pieces of safety gear you may choose to carry. It certainly doesn't hurt and can be very helpful.

Moral of the story is prepare for the worst but expect the best when you are out there. We are all human, so we can make mistakes. That is why communication with your group is so key. You might be the most experienced person in the group, but you could be having a bad day. Everyone's input has equal measure and everybody in your group has the right to veto. The groups that do this rarely have incidents.

Take your L1 for sure. It is a great course and you'll learn a ton. Even if you don't do much if any backcountry travel. You'll at least have some basic knowledge to help you spot trouble areas that may exist within a ski area boundary, along the road you are driving, anytime you are in snow country. 

Long post, apologies.


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## nutmegchoi (Feb 10, 2016)

killclimbz said:


> A few things. poutenen a rescue sled is in reality not of much use to get a person out. They are more or less used to get a person to a clearing for a heli evacuation. If you are close to a trail head, you might be able to use it to get a person out. Another situation is to shorten the gap to get to that next level of care such as an S&R group coming up a known trail. If you are less than a mile out, it is feasible that it could work for an evac. Otherwise you are going to need additional help if your victim is that immobile that you need a sled. I think you know this, but I just want it out there.
> 
> nutmegchoi, I am unsure of that 20% stat. Airbags are pretty easy to activate if they are in the deploy mode. That means you have to have the trigger handle out, not zipped up in the shoulder sleeve. You also need to be wearing the harness strap. A person in Canada was killed by his airbag 3 years ago now I believe. That person's group was skinning up a ridge when it released. He had his handle out but was not wearing the harness strap that keeps the pack from rising over your torso. He deployed the bag when he was swept up in the avalanche. He did come out on top of the snow. Unfortunately the pack was pulled over his head, squeezing his arms over his head. This cut off his carotid artery and he perished due to lack of blood flow. His partners had to rescue themselves and were not able to get to him in time.
> 
> ...


As usual, thank you for the very valuable input.

I got that 20% stat from the article which I don't know where the source is.

I did some quick search and found bunch info.
Seems like worth reading.

Utah Avalanche Center

Backcountry Skiing Blog

bca

ADVENTURE JOURNAL

More I read about it, sounds like it's very important to have a group of solid, experienced, low ego skiers or snowboarders to venture together.
Wonder if there's "Backcountry Ski/Snowboard Friend Finder". :embarrased1:


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Oh I wasn't questioning where you got that stat. How they came to that stat in the article is what I was questioning. I had a friend in Washington have to use his when he was caught in a small slide. They just aren't hard to activate if they are ready to go is all. I suspect that the stat just looked to see if the victim had an airbag, not if it was ready to go. In my book those are cases of "we'll never know". 

Take your L1 and get the gear. Then you can find a mentor to help you mature into a savvy traveler. LMK if you get out Colorado way. I always enjoy taking people out around Bert and that way I can make sure they have fun and stay out of trouble.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

killclimbz said:


> Back to the 20% stat. The Sheep Creek avalanche on Loveland Pass that took five lives. Most if not all of them had airbags. None of them had them ready to deploy. The statements about the airbags not helping is rather untrue. They never got to try them. I also think this sort of accident is probably contributing to that 20% stat. I would like some clarification as to where they got that.


I'm not sure, but reckon they refer with this number to the study by 
Haegeli at al from 2014 (The effectiveness of avalanche airbags. - PubMed - NCBI) where they investigated several hundred avy accidents, compared burial rate and survival between with and without airbag use with the conclusion that airbags are of help. 

Among other numbers, they also mention that 20% (61 of 307) of ppl with airbag did not inflate them. Of 52 of these 61, the reasons for non inflating were known and consisted of: 
❙ 60 % were not triggered by the user
❙ 12 % device was not set up correctly
❙ 17 % malfunction of the device
❙ 12 % destruction of the airbag during the avy
(neni translation of the free German version of the article http://www.slf.ch/praevention/verhalten/notfallausruestung/lawinenairbag/index_EN cos I couldn't download the English one on my mobile)

In a avy class last year, they mentioned other stats, where the proportion of ppl not inflating the airbag was discriminated into groups of professional mtn guides (i.e. ppl who are very regularly in avy terrain, very regularly "using" the airbag) and ppl who only occasionally do in their leisure time. They found, that professional mtn ppl did inflated more reliably. I don't remember the reference tho...


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Professionals almost always outperform the recreationalist in all aspects. Beacons searches, probing, digging, using their gear. It is what they do after all. I am sure it applies to deploying their airbag too.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

very scary story, to be sure.

Here is another good documentary on a somewhat similar incident


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## nutmegchoi (Feb 10, 2016)

deagol said:


> very scary story, to be sure.
> 
> Here is another good documentary on a somewhat similar incident


I watched that documentary couple times a while back.
Another great reminder.
I think they play that at AST class.


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