Deaths avoided if warnings heeded

DEAR EDITOR:

As a retired Air Force fighter pilot who for 37 years walked the knife edge of risk taking and decision making on a daily basis, I have been watching the ever-increasing number of avalanche deaths since the mid-1990s. With few exceptions, the majority of these sad events have an all too familiar ring. Conditions in the back country were forecast to be at a level that warranted a “not today” or “not this week” decision but the person or persons went anyway.

The results were the same .. the husband, father, son, daughter, or friend won’t be coming home ever again, and the surviving wife, mother, son, daughter, or friend will have to pick up the pieces and carry on as best they can ... often without the sole source of family income. Not a pretty picture.

I attended more that 30 military funerals in my career, and as a squadron commander and a base commander, far too often was the person, who along with a padre had to break the bad news to the survivors, and then along with others help them to try to recover, as they asked, “How did it happen, and why did it happen?”

In most back country situations, the loss of life or lives could easily have been prevented.

The majority of the casualties were the result of bad decisions, or those responsible made bad decisions without serious thought given to those who depended upon them back at home. They made their decision to go anyway, thinking only about themselves.

All this, even though forecast conditions were flashing with red lights and indicated a risk level that warranted a sober second thought to go another time.

Surely our number one core value is our loved ones and family. Can we not at least summon the self discipline to say “no,” not today while louder voices are trying to convince us to do otherwise.

Do we really expect a surviving family and children to be consoled by someone saying “at least he died doing what he loved to do.”

The Canadian Avalanche Centre does a highly professional job of disseminating current and forecast snow/avalanche conditions in the back country.

Everyone has a cell phone. If a person or persons who are heading out really wants to get the information available, there is no excuse as to why they can’t.

This information is critical and key to your trip planning. Col. (Ret’d)

Phil Engstad

Kelowna