How to Rescue an Avalanche Victim

It can happen in an instant. One minute you're snowmobiling or skiing across a slope with a friend, enjoying the scenery and the crisp mountain air, when suddenly an avalanche tears the ground out from beneath you. You're okay, but your friend is nowhere to be found. If someone is buried in an avalanche, time is of the essence. You must attempt to rescue the victim immediately, because by the time rescuers arrive, it is usually too late.

Edit Steps

Watch the victim. As soon as someone gets caught in an avalanche, try to track their path. Don't take your eyes off them. If the person disappears beneath the snow, note where you last saw them, and continue to watch downhill to see if they resurface.

Make sure the danger has passed before entering the avalanche slope. If you're following proper avalanche safety techniques, only one person should be in the danger zone at a time. Make sure the avalanche has completely stopped before others enter the slope.

Scan the surface of the snow. Quickly look for any sign of the victim. Sometimes a ski tip or article of clothing will be just above the surface. If the person was carrying an avalanche cord, look for that.

Use avalanche beacons if available. If the victim is wearing an emergency beacon, you may be able to quickly locate him or her.
- Switch emergency beacons into receive mode. All members of the party should switch their beacons to "receive" mode to attempt to locate the buried person.
- Proceed to the spot where the victim was last seen.
- Search for a signal.
- Quickly move in the direction in which the signal is strongest. Walk 10-15 feet in one direction. If the signal weakens, quickly go the opposite direction. Follow the signal as long as it keeps getting stronger until you can pinpoint the victim's location.

Listen for the person. If the person is conscious, he or she will probably try to cry out. Periodically stop for just a few seconds and silently listen for faint noises beneath the snow. Depending on the depth of burial, keep in mind that you may not be able to hear them.

Probe the area where the victim is likely to be. If the victim was wearing a beacon, use avalanche probes to probe the area where the signal is strongest. Otherwise begin probing where you last saw the victim and move downhill from there. Probe areas where the greatest amount of snow was deposited first. If several rescuers are available, fan out logically to maximize efficiency.

Mark the victim's location. Once the victim is found with a probe, leave the probe in the snow as a guide. Note the depth of burial.

Shovel strategically. If the victim is buried fairly deep in the snow, you'll need to dig a large hole to get at him. As a rule, the hole will need to be at least as large as the square of the depth of burial (that is, if the victim is buried 5 feet beneath the surface, the hole would need to be 5 feet wide by 5 feet long). Start digging downhill from the probe, and throw the snow downhill.

Dig as quickly as possible. If you have multiple rescuers, don't get in each others' way by all digging at once. Instead, maximize digging speed by taking shifts. Whenever one person starts to tire, he should rest and another person should take his place.

Uncover the victim's head first. As soon as you can see the victim, try to free his head. Asphyxiation is the primary cause of death in avalanches, so it's essential to get the person breathing as quickly as possible. Begin CPR, if needed, immediately after uncovering the person's head and chest.

Send someone for help immediately only after the victim's head is uncovered. If the victim cannot move on his own, do not attempt to move him unless absolutely necessary. He may have broken bones and internal injuries.

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Edit Tips

If avalanche probes are not available, ski poles may be used instead. Keep in mind that ski poles are not as effective as probes because they are not as long.

If there are multiple victims, try to dig out those who are buried closest to the surface. They have the highest chance of survival, and you can more quickly move on to others.

If you have a cell phone or radio, call for help, but don't send potential rescuers away from the scene until the victim is uncovered.

If you are caught in an avalanche, there are a few things you can do to increase your chance of survival. See the How to Survive an Avalanche for details.

There are a variety of probing techniques that can be used, and the most thorough and efficient one to utilize will be dictated by the number of rescuers you have available. See the Sources and Citations section for more detailed information.

The victim's chance of survival is far greater if his or her companions are trained in the use of rescue equipment. Anyone who ventures into potential avalanche zones should take an avalanche safety course. This will also help people to avoid avalanches.

If no shovels are available, use snowboards, skis, or anything else that can help you quickly remove snow.

Edit Warnings

It is common for the victim to suffer from trauma such as broken bones. Be prepared to deal with someone may have multiple injuries and will need to be carried out.

Try to be absolutely sure the avalanche danger is passed before entering the avalanche slope. If multiple victims are buried in a subsequent avalanche, the chance of saving anybody becomes less and less.

Look for disturbances in snow such as a small area of collapsed debris and snow. This can be a sign of movement by someone trapped beneath.

Don't wait for rescuers or send anyone to get help. Time is precious – the survival rate drops sharply after being buried only 15 minutes – and as many people as possible should immediately help in the search and rescue.