Surviving an avalanche can be pure luck

Jo Morgan says it was sheer luck she survived the avalanche which claimed the lives of two climbing guides in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park.

Your prospects if caught in an avalanche are grim – the snow burying you is very heavy and often sets like concrete, making it impossible to move.

But there are things you can do to improve your chances of survival.

Andrew Hobman, director of nonprofit safety group Avalanche NZ, said it was unclear what percentage of people survived avalanches because some survivors did not report their experience.

Of those killed in an avalanche, half died from the trauma of the initial event, Hobman said.

For those who survive the initial tumble, it becomes a race against time. Hobman said they had a 90 per cent chance of survival if found in 10 minutes. By 35 minutes, this dropped to 10 per cent. In that time asphyxiation kills people, – later it is hypothermia.

Hobman said the key survival component was well-trained people outside the avalanche who could find and dig you out quickly.

Anyone on the snow should have a transceiver (locating device) a light weight aluminum shovel and a probe in their pack as basics. Hobman said New Zealand was unusual as more than 50 per cent of avalanche fatalities were climbers, with trampers the next most susceptible.

Hobman’s advice:

First, yell out, because a key clue to finding survivors is their last known point. Fight as hard as possible to stay on the surface of the snow and make yourself as big as possible. As things start to slow down, clear as much space as possible around your head. Breathing can form an ice lens blocking oxygen from getting through and asphyxiate you, so you need as much air as possible. There are other pieces of kit that might help. The most promising is an airbag, inflating almost instantly once the cord is pulled helping you stay on top of the avalanche.