Biglines member gets buried in avy and lives to tell the story [PICS]

**ryank** · 01-09-2008, 09:41 PM

http://www.biglines.com/msgbrd/viewtopic.php?t=13987

This gives me chills. Crazy story (and photos too!), I'm so glad he survived.

Be safe out there.

**bennerlur** · 01-09-2008, 10:12 PM

I was looking at that the other day. Scary shit for sure! I hope they reenacted it to take the pics.......

**Cheesestoff** · 01-10-2008, 12:58 AM

bump, this needs to be seen by everyone

**alto** · 01-10-2008, 01:01 AM

"avalung got ripped from my mouth as I sank"

dang. keep those jaws clamped.

**squatch** · 01-10-2008, 01:06 AM

Looks like they used the "new" method of digging from the side. Getting him out vertically looks like it was a bitch.

forest · 01-10-2008, 01:15 AM

fak, great to see that his buddies were on it enough to dig him out. good on them.

Seems like the weaknesses out there take just the perfect hit to get them to go. So many stories of slopes that had been skied/bombed getting triggered. Scares the poop out of me.

**grapedrink** · 01-10-2008, 01:29 AM

Originally Posted by squatch

Looks like they used the "new" method of digging from the side. Getting him out vertically looks like it was a bitch.

http://www.backcountryaccess.com/eng...kinsISSW06.pdf

**splat** · 01-10-2008, 01:29 AM

Helluva rescue. 2 meters. 15 minutes.
Damn. Damn well done. Good crew.

edit:

'Below two meters, the chances of survival are extremely low: only 11 of 126 people (9%) have survived burials deeper than 2 meters.'
-
STRATEGIC SHOVELING:
THE NEXT FRONTIER IN COMPANION RESCUE
Bruce Edgerly
Backcountry Access, Inc., Boulder, Colorado
Dale Atkins
RECCO AB, Boulder, Colorado

Props to Edgerly and Atkins for getting the word out on extraction techniques.

**Keegan** · 01-10-2008, 01:31 AM

Damn.... Kudos to his friends.

**squatch** · 01-10-2008, 01:42 AM

Originally Posted by grapedrink

http://www.backcountryaccess.com/eng...kinsISSW06.pdf

Nice. I read that paper a while back. Good read, and one of the more important avalanche rescue techniques to remember, IMHO. People stress about beacons, and sure, that's important, but the final link in the chain is shoveling.

Like splat said, without a good crew of experienced people (and this is shown in the shoveling) the guy is probably dead.

**nova2** · 01-10-2008, 01:47 AM

I've been meaning to sign up for one of those avalanche training courses. This makes it a little more real. Glad he made it out to tell about it.

**grapedrink** · 01-10-2008, 01:51 AM

Originally Posted by squatch

Nice. I read that paper a while back. Good read, and one of the more important avalanche rescue techniques to remember, IMHO. People stress about beacons, and sure, that's important, but the final link in the chain is shoveling.

Like splat said, without a good crew of experienced people (and this is shown in the shoveling) the guy is probably dead.

also probably helped quite a bit that the probe hit his helmet and not his boot. and that they knew first aid/cpr to resuscitate him.

http://www.sja.ca/filestore/ENG/Cana...0v3English.pdf

**klar** · 01-10-2008, 02:14 AM

holy shit. met him briefly in chile, very nice, stoked guy and an awesome photographer. so glad he's ok.

**subtle plague** · 01-10-2008, 02:39 AM

yikes that's deep.

and -1 for the avalung side. hmm hmm

**splat** · 01-10-2008, 02:51 AM

Now, what's holding up those airbags in the US?

Oh, yeah.....the Department of Homeland Security.

**extreeski** · 01-10-2008, 08:24 AM

Everyone who thinks its okay to ski without a partner, pieps, shovel, probe.... even inbounds.... should see this.

**sftc** · 01-10-2008, 08:58 AM

Sweet gloves Dude! He must be a local.

Major props to those guys for doing it well.

Thankfully I don't have a bunch of experience with actual rescues, but from practice I know that doing an efficient deep dig is difficult. The idea of digging down diagonally is smart, and probably not often considered during the moment, so I'm bumping this back up to the top.
I've always been a little suspicious of the Avalung- If you don't already have it in your mouth do you stand a chance of finding it during a slide? And if it's a big slide, how do you keep it in your mouth during all of the rumblin' and tumblin'? I'm sure this has been discussed around here many times before, but I'm just sayin'....

**Cheesestoff** · 01-10-2008, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by splat

Now, what's holding up those airbags in the US?

Oh, yeah.....the Department of Homeland Security.

You can buy them in the states and canada now. Slightly different cannisters than the euro version to get past homeland security.

My dad bought me one for xmas, should have it next week.

**nova2** · 01-10-2008, 09:42 AM

I just read the link on Strategic Shoveling last night. Much thanks, gotta take a course this season. Skinastc?

**ToddsPhotos** · 01-10-2008, 10:42 AM

Hello everyone, that was me that got buried.

I was dug out with the new digging way, into the slope, it was sooo fast an i am sure it contributed to me being alive. when you are that deep you can not even move your lungs, so the avalung probably wouldn't have helped if it had even stayed in.

**RootSkier** · 01-10-2008, 11:12 AM

Welcome, Todd. Glad you made it!

**TeleHoar** · 01-10-2008, 11:22 AM

Todd,

Thanks for talking to us.
Your snowboard dragged you UP?? interesting.
Also interesting about the avylung. Who took the pictures of your unburial??
and who lost their 120 dollar glove? Doesn't look like it was yours.

Thanks

**CherryMoon** · 01-10-2008, 11:25 AM

Wow, incredible to see you survived that uninjured Todd. If you feel comfortable talking about it...mentally, are you having a hard time getting back on the saddle? Did you focus on anything in particular to keep your heart/breathing rate somewhat at bay while in the dark?

Any chance you're now considering the use of the ABS airbag system? I've clamped down of my avalung during a large sluff ride that ended up being an avy false alarm, but it was difficult to keep clamped in my mouth with all the movement. I'm seriously thinking of picking up the ABS system in a few weeks to avoid a deep burial like the one you just encountered...it's success rate seems incredible:
http://www.abssystem.com/abs-Dateien...shjune2006.pdf

Don't know you from a hole in the wall, but seriously very happy to hear you made it out safe.

**ToddsPhotos** · 01-10-2008, 11:36 AM

my friend Ian lost a glove while digging me out. a marmot ultimate.

I went unconscious fast, i couldn't even move my lungs. i just knew i had to strong, knowledgeable friends above me. My other friend Janiana took some photos after i started talking again. i will be hitting the mountains again tomorrow, but i think it will be a little scary.

Ya my board pulled up for sure, it also left my head slightly below my chest, so with decresed vitals my brain still got fed