Colin Grissom, M.D. "New Hope For Surviving the Avalanche"
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Data from U.S. avalanche burials since 1950 show a 63% survival with companion
rescue as compared to 19% survival with organized rescue (Table 1)
2
. U.S. data show an
overall survival of buried avalanche victims of 40% which is consistent with a recent
study from Austria that reported a 40% survival for totally buried avalanche victims. The
Austrian study showed an increased survival of 46% when avalanche transceivers were
used for rescue, as compared to 32% when other methods of rescue were used
14
.
Rescue transceivers are an efficient method to locate victims, but two problems
have limited the number of survivors who were wearing transceivers. First, few who wear
transceivers are well practiced in using them instantly and efficiently to save a life; and
second, even with a quick pinpointing of the burial location, extricating the victim from
deeper burials may take too long to save a life. To recover a victim buried 1 m deep,
companions will have to remove at least 1.5 tons of snow. Since the first transceiver
rescue in 1974, only 40% (55 of 138) of buried victims found with transceivers have been
recovered alive. As dismal as this statistic is there is a bright spot within the data. Prior to
2000 only 30% of transceiver users survived; however, since 2000, 57% have survived
burials (p=0.003)
3
. The year 2000 marks the beginning of widespread use of digital
avalanche rescue transceivers that most people find easier to use. Though transceivers
have become easier to use the statistics demonstrate they give no guarantee of live rescue.
Regular practice and training are key to saving a life with a transceiver.
Table 1. Survival by Type of Rescue for Buried Avalanche Victims
(data from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, US Avalanche Accidents
1950 to 2004)
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Self
Rescue
Companion
Rescue
Organized
Rescue
Total
Alive 48 198 87
333
Dead 116 383 499
Survival
100 %
63 %
19 %
40 %
Avalanche Victim Morbidity
Traumatic injury to avalanche victims is dependent on the terrain where the
avalanche occurs. If an avalanche victim is carried through trees or over rock bands, then
traumatic injury is more likely and may result in death. Grossman and colleagues
reported that traumatic injuries occurred in 25% of survivors of avalanche accidents
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from data that included both partial and complete burials in Utah and Europe (Table 2).
The most common traumatic injuries were major orthopedic, soft tissue, and craniofacial
injuries. Johnson and colleagues reviewed autopsy reports from 28 avalanche deaths in
Utah over a seven-year period. Among 22 avalanche victims who died from asphyxiation,
half had mild or moderate traumatic brain injury, which the authors argued could cause a
depressed level of consciousness and contribute to death from asphyxiation
15
. All 6 of the
avalanche deaths that were due to trauma had severe traumatic brain injury.
