Imagine yourself riding or skating in a snow area and all of sudden you had awakened the snow disaster. What would you do?
Avalanches or otherwise known as snow slides is a rapid flow of snow down from a high hill or a mountainside. It might occur due to various reasons such as weather, temperature, slope steepness or orientation, terrain, wind direction, and others. But According to experts, 90% of the avalanche causes due to human activities.
However, some reports had said that the persons have 93% of the survival rate. Isn’t it relaxing to know? We had mentioned the best steps to survive an avalanche.
Move to the side
Once you feel the avalanche coming in your way, don’t overrun it but move to the side. Running perpendicular to the path against the snow slide would save you from the disastrous. So, don’t wait and move your way to the side of the avalanche slope.
Get rid of the heavy things.
If you want to get away from this snow slides quickly, then you should be lightweight. So, let go of the heavy things in your backpack, and it could increase the surviving rate. But it wise to keep your backpack on, as it might prevent the injuries in your neck and back.
Hold onto something sturdy.
If the avalanche catches you, then you should grab on some sturdy things like a tree. It could delay the drowning. But even big rocks and dense trees could be carried away with a mighty avalanche.
Swim to the end
The human body is substantial when compared with the snow, and so the victim could be easily carried downhill. Hence, it would help if you kept swimming to stay on the surface as much as possible.
Raise and Dig
If nothing works and you get buried, hold your arm straight above your head. It will help the rescuers to locate you. After the avalanche, the snow will get accumulate above you, and it is not possible to get rid of that. Try to dig a pocket around your face using the free hand to ease your breathing.
Be Calm
It is normal to panic in such a dreadful situation. But you need to relax, if not your breathing rate will increase and you will have a high carbon dioxide level which might reduce your survival rate. Keep your breath steady and try to dig your way out. Meanwhile, you will be saved by the rescuers in no time.
Pack survival accessories
- Keep a small shovel with you as it could help to dig your face out when you are stuck in the snow.
- The death of many victims is due to the injuries in the head when they are knocked off by the snow. Hence, always wear a helmet if you are going for a snow ride.
- You can also opt for skier’s airbags which could help you to stay on the surface and lower the risk of getting buried in the snow.
Who would have thought white and peaceful snow could change into a snow monster. Nature couldn’t be controlled, but we can save ourselves from them with proper guidelines. Always remember there is always a way out for every problem when you act in time.