JHMR patroller unable to deploy airbag during slide, but not buried

[Tye 1on]

From the JH News and Guide, today:

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort identified the skier injured in an avalanche Sunday as an on-duty ski patroller, who was unable to pull the cord on an airbag system while being swept 1,000 feet down a chute in Granite Canyon.

The patroller was not buried but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, resort spokesman Zahan Billimoria said. The skier was able to evacuate with the help of two fellow patrollers. The resort declined to identify the man.

“He’s going to be on rest for a little while,” Billimoria said.

The incident occurred as a fierce storm dumped 21 inches of snow at the resort in two days. The patroller was the third to ski the steep chute known as Double Dog Leg, located north of the resort boundary in Grand Teton National Park.

The patrollers were on routine reconnaissance, Billimoria said. The Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center reported that the slide hit at approximately 8 a.m.

The slide had a 5- to 6-inch crown but gathered more snow from the sides of the slope as it ran, Billimoria said. Estimates put the elevation of the crown at between 8,600 and 9,000 feet. The slope measured between 41 and 45 degrees, the avalanche center reported.

The patroller was carrying an ABS Avalanche Airbag System, a backpack a skier can use to release an airbag during an avalanche to keep him- or herself on top of the snow. Ski patrollers at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort wear the backpacks during certain high-risk operations.

The airbag did not deploy because the patroller was unable to grab the cord, Billimoria said. The avalanche center reported that he was swept roughly 1,000 feet down the chute.

Patrollers regularly do reconnaissance work in the Granite Canyon area, even though the chutes are outside the resort boundary and not patrolled, Billimoria said. “They maintain familiarity,” he said, explaining that patrollers sometimes assist Teton County Search and Rescue or the National Park Service on rescues.

Teton park officials said they were not notified of the incident.

The storm, which pushed the total snowfall for the season to 204 inches, continued to wreak havoc at the resort, as high winds gusting to 91 miles per hour lashed the mountain Sunday night and early Monday. A tree fell on the Bridger Gondola cable, delaying the lift’s opening by more than three hours on one of the biggest powder days of the season.

“All of our [gondola] towers have sensors, and when [workers] went to start the gondola, the sensors indicated something was not right,” Billimoria said.

An inspection revealed the downed tree had knocked the cable off the wheels near the top of the lift. No cars were on the cable at the time. It is the resort’s policy to take the cars off at night.

The gondola was repaired and opened at 12:42 p.m., Billimoria said.

More snow is expected Wednesday.
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- The story makes it sound like he wanted to deploy it, but in my mind is not 100% conclusive that this was exactly the case.

- imho this is another reminder that all of our safety gear, from helmet to transceiver to avalung to airbag, may indeed save our life. Or not. Don't let carrying any/all of it lull you into any sense of invincibility, or decisions you would make if you weren't wearing it.

[passholer]

http://live.tetongravity.com/_Big-Un...156/75233.html

here's a look at the top of dogleg

[JoeStrummer]

Scary stuff, glad he survived. I would be clawing for that handle like Lindsey Lohan in a cat fight outside the Viper Room.

You would think they would rig these packs so if you can't deploy the airbags at least they could play some soothing soft rock or something. James Taylor, or maybe something off Rumours.

[Micol]

Do you know if this was a ABS brand pack? In another article I read that Jackson Hole bought all patrollers a Snowpulse. I have a friend on patrol up there and going to pm or email him too for clarification.

If you dont get the handle pulled it wont matter if its a BCA , Snowpulse, ABS, Avivest, etc. Got to get the handle pulled someway somehow.

[Core Shot]

The incident occurred as a fierce storm dumped 21 inches of snow at the resort in two days. The patroller was the third to ski the steep chute known as Double Dog Leg, located north of the resort boundary in Grand Teton National Park.

The patrollers were on routine reconnaissance, .

heh

"routine reconnaissance"

[nocoastxj]

They gave them all ABS packs....checked em in myself

[Micol]

They gave them all ABS packs....checked em in myself

Thanks






123

[Hacksaw]

I have often wondered if in the tumbling of being in an avalanche if I'd be able to get my Avalung into my mouth or pull the ripcord on an airbag.

I have also wondered if folks would hold-off pull the cord, because they are thinking, "...its not too big an avalanche, I can get out of it, etc... " or "... Gees, I don't have enough cash to pay to refill the gas cartridge right now..."

It would sort of be like the fighter pilots that try to fly the jet away, instead of pulling the ejection seat handle...

It will be interesting to watch and see what happens with these airbags.

[sar13]

Another note on the ABS packs: They are required to wear them at all times while working. The article suggests it is only certain times but it is all the time if they are working.

[AltaPowderDaze]

I have often wondered if in the tumbling of being in an avalanche if I'd be able to get my Avalung into my mouth or pull the ripcord on an airbag.

I have also wondered if folks would hold-off pull the cord, because they are thinking, "...its not too big an avalanche, I can get out of it, etc... " or "... Gees, I don't have enough cash to pay to refill the gas cartridge right now..."

hacksaw,
i've never been able to get the avalung in my mouth for even small slides. i spend the bulk of my 1-3 seconds to react trying to get off the slab or dig in. after that it's just too late. if you are going to use it, it should start in the mouth and stay there. then again when touring, if you need it in your mouth should you even be there?

as for the air bag, luckily i haven't been in a situation yet to test that out. i hope i'm not but i can see waiting to deploy in a smaller slide where you have a chance to ski out of it. as for the bigger slide, i'm reaching for it right away but if it's not muscle memeory, than i'm probably hosed.
fwiw, we are testing the abs, snow pulse and have had the bca. currently our folks seem to like the snow pulse for the ease of use in the deployment system and the belts. the abs has a better feature, ie the zip on storage compartments. but that benefit is outweighed by the loss of user serviceable deployment parts and the clumsy trigger system.

[chepora]

It's only like $5 to get the bags refilled at a dive shop...at least for my snowpulse. I would pull first, feel stupid about pulling for such a small slide later
Ditto about the avalung.

[ABSKen]

When in doubt, PULL. You just never know.
In a situation like this and you are with another person, thats where the wireless trigger from ABS would be perfect.
I would imagine a slope that steep and slide that far, you would be doing the rag doll pretty good.

[SnowBigDeal]

The ABS and the Avi-Vest have the easiest handles to pull (IMO). Both packs use a puncture system as opposed to a cable mechanism like the SnowPulse and BCA packs.

Also, a new feature out by ABS in the U.S. this year allows the ABS packs to be triggered remotely if your riding buddy is unable to deploy his airbag.

[Yemble]

Another avalanche non-pull, in Val d'Isere. Two caught, one pull, one dead.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukp...1293547598626A
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ench-Alps.html

[JoeStrummer]

Another avalanche non-pull, in Val d'Isere. Two caught, one pull, one dead.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukp...1293547598626A
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ench-Alps.html

Wow, that sucks.

Combe du Signal is a pretty popular off-piste run that gets swarmed but seems to rip every couple of years, usually when conditions are 3/5 like today (and Sunday.) Here's a vid of the bowl. . .

[splat]

Scary stuff, glad he survived. I would be clawing for that handle like Lindsey Lohan in a cat fight outside the Viper Room.

You would think they would rig these packs so if you can't deploy the airbags at least they could play some soothing soft rock or something. James Taylor, or maybe something off Rumours.

Joe Strummer pointed out the above burial mention here in my thread in tech talk. BBC had a report on it.

[ame="http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=209810"]1 Transceiver, 1 Airbag, 1 Avalanche, 1 Dead - Teton Gravity Research Forums[/ame]

Since it seemed a transceiver v airbag situation, I foolishly posted it over there.

And if my airbag doesn't deploy, Strummer, please call my cell phone and play Lindsey Buckingham's frantic guitar solo on Go Your Own Way to fuel the struggle.

[adimmen]

The last thing I do before dropping in every single time is grab my airbag handle. Hopefully this makes pulling automatic.

[WARY]

If you are wearing an AviVest we recommend that before every run you should tap the rip-cord ball and remind yourself to pull the rip-cord if you get into an avalanche.

Several years ago we were doing prototype testing in British Columbia when an avalanche went big on us. The entire mountain let go. Class size 3 plus according to experienced people who were there. A film crew at the base of the mountain got dusted pretty bad and would have been killed, it sounded like a Boeing 747 landing on us, except for escape routes into 100 year old trees set up in advance by one of us. Thanks forever Will.

When it was all over I looked down and realized I had not pulled my own rip-cord. Now every time I'm in the mountains doing testing I tap my AviVest rip-cord ball and remind myself to pull the trigger.

JW

[iamchappy]

What i have heard through the grapevine was the patroller hadn't undone the velcro strap that secures the handle.

[SnowBigDeal]

What i have heard through the grapevine was the patroller hadn't undone the velcro strap that secures the handle.

Even if this is true, the velcro strap that secures the handle shouldn't prevent the airbag handle from being able to be pulled. The strap is more to prevent accidental firings, but if you are intentionally trying to fire the pack, the velcro won't stop you.