This avalanche airbag footage was caught on January 25th, 2012 in the Snake River backcountry near Montezuma, Colo. It features pro snowboarder Meesh Hytner getting caught in an avalanche and staying on top after deploying her BCA Float 30 avalanche airbag.
Video courtesy of BCA
While airbags can be extremely effective in preventing avalanche burial, they are no substitute for education and good judgment.
As there has been some debate about the video, we also quote BCA co-owner Bruce Edgerly :-
We're sorry it appears we set this whole thing up and are exploiting it to the max. Our company is truly dedicated to saving lives, not just pumping products. We really had nothing to do with making this footage and we believe this event was irresponsible. We have always supported education as the #1 priority in the backcountry. An airbag cannot make up for poor judgment.
Your best defence against avalanches is education; the following links are great starting points :-
Avalanche Safety on Pistehors
BCA's avalanche education pages
European Avalanche Warning Services
Henry's Avalanche Talk
And more about pro snowboarder Meesh Hytner.