Rescue
Excavating the Buried Subject
Digging must be practiced, as it uses by far the biggest amount of time.
Cut out blocks of snow with the shovel.
The V-Shaped Snow Conveyor Belt:
• Position diggers in a «V» formation
• The first two rescuers are in a distance of one shovel
length from each other, all additional rescuers are in a
distance of two shovel lengths from each other.
• Length of «V»:
· Flat terrain: 2x burial depth
· Steep terrain: 1x burial depth
• Amount of rescuers: 1 per 80 cm length of «V»
• Rescuer at the tip of the “ V” digs alongside the probe to
the buried subject
• Diggers rotate frequently (approx. every 4 min) clockwise
on command of the rescuer at the tip of the «V».
• Cut out blocks of snow with the shovel by stepping on
the shovel blade which is held perpendicular to the
surface. Apply a half-moon shaped cutting pattern.
Position yourself facing the open end of the “V”, cut
the first half-moon without pulling back on the shovel
shaft. When cutting the second and subsequent half-
moons, pull the shovel shaft gently backwards after you
have cut the block so that it pops out. To cut the next
half-moon, step backwards toward the probe, like this,
you do not step on the pre-cut blocks.
In multiple burial situations, the transceiver of a rescued
subject should be turned off as soon as possible.
90°
80 cm
