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The stats say that till 15 minutes, survival rate has a setady decline to 75%, after that it drops off very steep. I was always taught to dig a person up within 15 minutes for the maxmimun possibility of live recovery. Once I was buried with an Avalung for 30 minutes as a part of the avvy training/experience.

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So Avalungs work then? How deep were you buried?

 

I was discussing what it might be like to be buried in snow on the chairlift the other day. Is it dark, or does a fair bit of light get in?

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We put everyone thru a burial experience under very controlled fashown of course (breathing room, radio)for about 10 min. under about 1 m. Then rest will practice probing feeling of human body vs ground, etc..

 

It is pitch dark, and you can hear people call you, but your scream is heard extreamly faint. You are stuck in whatever the position you were burried can't even move an inch of anything, can't expand lungs to braath even half way. This practice is to give a person what it is like being buried and believe me you do not want to be down there more than 10 seconds. My case was we wanted to experiment with an avalung. After about 20 minutes I started to have a headache, but more than breathing, the stress of not being able to move at all and can't expand lungs really got to me eventually. But I thought as far as breathing goes, I could have been down there much longer.

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IM,

 

I don't know much about these things, bugger all actually, but do you reckon the headache would be from lack of oxygen, even with the avalung?

 

 

Also, what do you reckon about the idea of trying to make a space on front of your face while the avalanche is still moving?

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Kambei,

 

Yes, I think it was from lack of oxgen. Avalung is designed to take in air from front of the vest and expel to the back, but after a while, the air may have gotten mixed up within snow and reintroduced the expelled air to the breathing port.

 

As far as getting a breathing space in front of your face, that is people recommend in the event of an avalanched. But, I don't know how much of a hand moving is possible in the moving snow esp. if you have pole strapped to your wrists. Personally, I do not want to try it out.

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I think depth plays a massive part. If you`re at 10 foot you`re gonna pass out pretty soon because you will not be able to breathe at all. This is due to the crushing weight of the snow. Whereas your chances of being able to expand your lungs are enhanced if say you`re at 1 ft or 2ft. There are loads of factors involved. Let`s hope none of us ever have to find out firsthand.

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I too have been buried as part of avalanche training and can confirm that its heavy, very very dark and super scary. We only had a small amount of snow on top of us. The most amazing thing is the sound. You can here people talking and walking around up top but they cant hear you, even when you are screaming at the top of your voice.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There was a documentary on the TV the other night. Seems there was an avalanche at Arai about 10 years ago when 2 patrol were buried in a couple of meters of snow. One was discovered after 15 minutes, the other after 45 minutes - still alive. He gave the top tips as being cover your face with your hands and don't panic eek.gif

 

Interesting it was.

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I had an MRI scan the other day - they wheel you into a plastic tunnel in an uncomfortable position which you have to maintain without moving, and bombard you with horrible noises. I was told it would take 20 minutes, but it was nearly double that. There's nothing heavy on top of you, and it isn't dark, but when you feel your circulation gradually being cut off, and wondering when you're going to hear somebody coming to get you out, the urge to panic is very strong. A lot of people do apparently.

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Dunno yet. They're waiting for it to metastasize before they decide what it is. Probably have to dig the muther out, whatever it turns out to be.

 

Which is better, to die of cancer of the paw, or suffocation in an avalanche?

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Slightly claustrophobic eh OC? Remind me not to take you cave diving anywhere. I've been through numerous MRIs - pretty interesting machines but they are loud. On a serious note, I hope that what ails you isn't serious.

 

I saw the avie show too - it was pretty interesting. The kids that rescued them are still on the job at Arai. One is a groomer, and the other is in charge of the patrols I think.

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Yeah, I do have claustrophobia in some situations, and although I've done some potholing, it's not my first choice of activity. I preferred skydiving.

 

The paw seems to be leaking nerve fluid. Or something. I have to go back next month for the doc's assessment.

 

These things are a bugger aren't they Ray? If it isn't one thing, it's another...

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I can empathise with you Ocean. I used to suffer form claustrophabia really badly. I found it very difficult to even drive through a tunnel, and if there was a traffic jam in the tunnel i'd start to freak out.

 

It isn't too bad anymore, but's still there.

 

I hope the doc's assessment is good news! \:\)

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