It also isnt about RECCO.
My question is about survival times - if you read the topic title you will realise that. Jeez :roll:
Avalanche Survival Times
Login
All the below assumes you've been caught and buried - your best chance of survival is to avoid being avalanched in the first place. Airbags have a good record of keeping people on the surface but they're not infallible - I hear from bandit that an airbag-equipped skier was killed today. :(
As mentioned above, common advice is to try to get your hands in front of your face... but you'd have to be exceptionally fortunate to be able to achieve that in the midst of being tumbled around (and quite likely injured) in a slide.
The "avalung" is a fairly inexpensive option for possibly extending the time you can keep breathing but, again, that relies on you either being able to get (and keep) the mouthpiece into your mouth or to be able to get at it once buried.
What the 15 minutes does mean, is that absolutely your "best last chance" is companion rescue; and that can only happen if you and your buddies are all equipped with bleepers, probes and shovels (and know how to use them).
I don't think there is a way to "extend" these 15 min other than by a pure luck - some avalanche victims survived after being buried for hours breathing through air pockets in the snow. Then there is also a danger of hypothermia from extended burial. Still there is no even guarantee that the victim will be alive when the snow stops as about 20% die from injuries.
There was an avalanche death last week of last season The guy had an airbag and it worked so he didn't get buried but still died from his injuries.
To Create or Answer a Topic
Started by Iceman in Avalanche Safety 19-Dec-2012 - 18 Replies
Iceman
reply to 'Avalanche Survival Times' posted Dec-2012
The Northern Monkey. Jan'23 Les Arcs
Tony_H
reply to 'Avalanche Survival Times' posted Dec-2012
all well amd good but your opening post questioned the use of recco which appears to have been picked up for discussion. I believe that's what often happens with j2ski threads, they kind of metamorphasise......you should know :wink:Iceman wrote:It also isnt about RECCO.
My question is about survival times - if you read the topic title you will realise that. Jeez :roll:
www
New and improved me
Iceman
reply to 'Avalanche Survival Times' posted Dec-2012
I should know. But this thread on here tendss to be a bit more serious!!
My question was 2 fold. 1 about survival times and 2 bearing that in mind about avalanche detection systems such as RECCO.
The main one being the first point.
Waste of time trying to get an answer to a serious question.
My question was 2 fold. 1 about survival times and 2 bearing that in mind about avalanche detection systems such as RECCO.
The main one being the first point.
Waste of time trying to get an answer to a serious question.
The Northern Monkey. Jan'23 Les Arcs
Edited 1 time. Last update at 19-Dec-2012
Snowy0000
reply to 'Avalanche Survival Times' posted Dec-2012
Apparently you have in most cases about 15mins before you suffocate, :!: Anything that will help others find you is useful. Not mentioning the R word
We could also take
We could also take
Felthorpe wrote Perhaps scuba gear would be more practical?
www
Snowy
Iceman
reply to 'Avalanche Survival Times' posted Dec-2012
It must be an horrendous feeling :(
The Northern Monkey. Jan'23 Les Arcs
Admin
reply to 'Avalanche Survival Times' posted Dec-2012
Iceman wrote:In the event that you are caught in one, what is the best thing to do to extend the golden 15 minutes?
All the below assumes you've been caught and buried - your best chance of survival is to avoid being avalanched in the first place. Airbags have a good record of keeping people on the surface but they're not infallible - I hear from bandit that an airbag-equipped skier was killed today. :(
As mentioned above, common advice is to try to get your hands in front of your face... but you'd have to be exceptionally fortunate to be able to achieve that in the midst of being tumbled around (and quite likely injured) in a slide.
The "avalung" is a fairly inexpensive option for possibly extending the time you can keep breathing but, again, that relies on you either being able to get (and keep) the mouthpiece into your mouth or to be able to get at it once buried.
What the 15 minutes does mean, is that absolutely your "best last chance" is companion rescue; and that can only happen if you and your buddies are all equipped with bleepers, probes and shovels (and know how to use them).
The Admin Man
Verbier_ski_bum
reply to 'Avalanche Survival Times' posted Dec-2012
Iceman wrote:I was watching the programme that was on BBC last night "10 things you didn't know about avalanches". It was really interesting, however there was one thing that made me think:
"In the majority of cases, if you are not found within 15 minutes of being buried you are likely to die from asphyxiation (white death)"
If this is in fact true, are the RECCO type devices of any use? By the time that people have identified that you are missing and the search & rescue team have found you surely your 15 minutes will be up and they are likely to find a corpse?
I know the 15 minute rule may vary, but even if it is double - it is not a long time from when an avalanche happens to when you are found?
In the event that you are caught in one, what is the best thing to do to extend the golden 15 minutes?
I don't think there is a way to "extend" these 15 min other than by a pure luck - some avalanche victims survived after being buried for hours breathing through air pockets in the snow. Then there is also a danger of hypothermia from extended burial. Still there is no even guarantee that the victim will be alive when the snow stops as about 20% die from injuries.
Verbier_ski_bum
reply to 'Avalanche Survival Times' posted Dec-2012
Admin wrote:Iceman wrote:In the event that you are caught in one, what is the best thing to do to extend the golden 15 minutes?
All the below assumes you've been caught and buried - your best chance of survival is to avoid being avalanched in the first place. Airbags have a good record of keeping people on the surface but they're not infallible - I hear from bandit that an airbag-equipped skier was killed today. :(
There was an avalanche death last week of last season The guy had an airbag and it worked so he didn't get buried but still died from his injuries.
Topic last updated on 02-January-2013 at 17:43