One skier recently had the scare of his life after being swept some 300 meters while skiing near Mont Blanc. The airbag in his backpack saved his life.
Three other skiers in the area witnessed the slide and feared the worst. Luckily, the man survived. The incident had two valuable lessons: One, that backpack airbags work, and two, that avalanches may strike even after other skiers have carved down the slope.
Chamonix skiers Leo Loux and Morgan Akhurfi posted the video. It was their last descent on a ski-touring day in apparently stable snow conditions.
“Or at least that’s what we had thought repeatedly the whole morning,” they admitted.
They stopped midway down the slope they were skiing to watch another skier who was following them. Shortly after the man’s first turn, the entire slab collapsed, dragging and burying him immediately.
The witnesses ran to help as soon as the snow stopped moving. They found the man conscious, apparently unharmed, and sitting on the surface of the snow, thanks to the airbag that he activated the moment he noticed the ground moving beneath his skis.
Life savers
The airbags attached to some models of ski touring and free-ride backpacks consist of a balloon attached to a gas canister or an electric fan that inflates in three seconds when the skier triggers an emergency system. It creates a 150-liter, tear-proof bubble around the wearer’s head, neck and chest, Conrad Sports explains. It is a game-changing device but is not a substitute for caution, correct assessment of snow conditions, and luck.
“Even if he came out of it well, it is not always the case,” the Chamonix skiers wrote on social media. “It is essential to study the place where we are going, to know the state of the snowpack, to ski accompanied, and to never underestimate a face under the pretext that we know it. Far too many accidents happen because of a lack of attention and a lapse in concentration.”
