A 37-year-old avalanche forecaster lost his life last week when he accidently triggered the natural disaster that quickly enveloped him in a few feet of snow.
Nicholas Burks caused a snow slip in Oregon while skiing down a mountain in the backcountry and was unable to be resuscitated when found.
Burks had all the recommended gear and training but – a survival expert told DailyMail.com that the tragic death should not deter people from preparing for avalanches.
DailyMail.com National Avalanche Specialist Chris Lundy, who said a person caught in an avalanche has just 15 minutes for a chance of survival – and having the proper tools is a matter of life or death.
Nicholas Burks, 37, trigged a snow slip in Oregon while skiing down a mountain in the backcountry and was unable to be necessitated when found
Burks and his friend, William Sloop were skiing on Gunsight Mountain, near Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort on March 6
‘Once it comes to start, you have 15 minutes for a chance of survival,’ said Lundy.
‘The average burial in US death is about three feet or so. Moving that heavy, dense snow might take 10 mins to dig them out.’
Most people will think to run, but the debris flow typically reaches speeds up to 80 mph, so specialists urge people to cover their mouth and nose with their hands.
Your arms will be buried and immobile if they are extended, and your cupped hands provide a tiny air pocket for breathing, Lundy explained.
While a deadly snow slip was impossible to predict, he said skiers should check avalanche.org before venturing out in the wild.
The website pulls data from 22 regional centers in the US that provide snow slip forecasts, allowing people to know what to expect before booking a trip to the mountains.
DailyMail.com National Avalanche Specialist Chris Lundy, who said a person caught in an avalanche has just 15 minutes for a chance of survival – and it all comes down to their partner digging them out
Online tools like Avalanche.org let skiers check the avalanche forecast for a specific destination. The website pulls data from 22 regional centers in the US that provide snow slip forecasts, allowing people to know what to expect before booking a trip to the mountains
Lundy explained that there are three main guidelines to follow when venturing out to the backcountry: get the gear, training and forecast.
However, Burks was well trained in the events and able to predict when they would strike – but an predicable avalanche is not what took his life.
He and his friend, William Sloop were skiing on Gunsight Mountain, near Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort on March 6.
As Burks took off down the mountain, he triggered an avalanche and snow overtook the experienced backcountry skier coming down the slope.
A group of individuals at the nearby lodge saw the avalanche and immediately notified first responders while quickly making their way to scene.
While they attempted to perform CPR on the forecaster, Burks ultimately succumbed to his injuries and died the scene.
It is unknown what Burk’s friend did during the event, but it is likely they had the gear Lundy recommends to all backcountry skiers,
He told DailyMail.com that everyone should carry a beacon, shovel, probe and airbag backpack, while also noting it would be wise to wear a helmet.
‘When in steep terrain you should only expose one person at a time, there is someone else in a safe spot to perform a rescue,’ said Lundy.
‘There are things to be done on partner and the person in avalanche. Both should yell ‘avalanche’ so everyone is alerted to it.
He then recommended deploying the airbag, which is essentially a large balloon that inflates if you pull a cord or handle.
The airbag will inflate in about three seconds, making users larger to keep them on the surface of the flowing snowpack.
But it isn’t the device that keeps people on the surface – it uses the the physical law of physics ‘inverse segregation.’
Inverse segregation is the idea that larger objects tend to rise to the surface of a moving mixture of different sized particles – as found in an avalanche.
While Lundy was admitted about having the proper gear, he said the best thing winter sports enthusiasts can do is get out of the way of an avalanche –
‘Try not to overthink, because you will likely have a split second to get off the slope,’ he said.
‘If you do get caught in the snow slip, fight like hell. Try to swim or whatever you can to keep head above.’
Experts urge winter sports enthusiasts to carry the right gear when out on the slopes, such as an avalanche beacon that sends location signals to others
Skies and snowboard also act like anchors that will pull you deeper into the snow – and Lundy said the best to ditch the gear as soon as possible.
The snow will set up like concrete in just a few second and if you are trapped in the natural disaster, you will be locked in place.
‘At that point there is nothing you can do. Relax to conserve oxygen – if you can do that in the heat of the moment,’ explained Lundy.
Your survival is up to your partners. If you are buried alone your chances of survival are very, very low.
An avalanche airbag is also recommended. The device inflates if you pull a cord and prevents you from getting completely buried by the snow
‘That is why we encourage to travel with partners. Your partners use rescue beacon, shovel and probe to dig you out.’
The beacon, or transceiver, sends location signals to others, a shovel tests snowpack or digs out the trapped person and a thin, folding pole to poke into the snow in search of anyone buried.
Avalanche beacons are radio transceivers that pinpoint where you are and can be worn on the body.
The device emits a radio signal that can be picked up by other transceivers to locate your whereabouts.
If someone in your party is swept away, the folding pole lets you determine the depth at which they might be buried and the shovel will help dig them free.
Earlier this year, four skiers were caught in one of the disasters in Idaho.
Three were found alive and rescued that day, while the body of the third skier, Corey J. Zalewski, was found.
Janet He was one of the individuals who escaped with her life after being buried under the snowpack.
The unfortunate loss followed the first reported death in an avalanche for the year – a man was killed in a 450-foot-long, 10-foot-deep avalanche
Three other skiers sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were released after initial treatment, according to the resort. Among them was an individual who suffered a lower leg injury.
Another backcountry skier was killed in Wyoming the same month after after triggering a 50-feet wide avalanche in the mountains south of Alpine.
David Rice, 41, was buried for about 15 minutes before being found by his partner.
‘In the last 10 years, there have been 244 people killed in avalanches in the US and only three percent of those were in open, operating areas of ski resorts,’ said Ethan Greene, director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
But he said it’s impossible to eliminate them.
‘We are dealing with Mother Nature,’ Greene continued.
‘We are dealing with a natural hazard in very complex systems in mountain environments. We can’t remove the risk completely.’
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
