EXTENDED REFERENCE GUIDE
BARRYVOX
®
33
COMPANION RESCUE
COMPANION RESCUE
Companion rescue means that buried subjects are located
and excavated by members of their party immediately after
the avalanche slide. Avalanche rescue is a race against time!
While most buried subjects can be rescued within the first 18
minutes, the chances of survival decrease rapidly afterwards.
Companion rescue, therefore, provides the greatest chances of
survival for a buried subject.
If an Avalanche Occurs
As a Victim:
Escape to the side
Discard skis, snowboards, and poles
anchor effect
Try to stay on top
Close your mouth; place your hands in front of your face
clear airway when the avalanche stops
Separate instructions apply for the use of specialized safety
equipment, such as the highly efficient avalanche airbag.
As a Witness:
Memorize the last seen point as well as the
direction of the avalanche
signal search strip
(See chapter «Signal Search»).
Personal Rescue Equipment
Carrying the proper personal safety equipment is critical for ef-
fective companion rescue. A transceiver, a shovel, and a probe
pole are necessary to localize and excavate a buried subject
quickly and efficiently.
Mammut offers a variety of suitable probe poles and shovels.
The use of an airbag system (flotation device) significantly
reduces the risk of complete burial and therefore leads to
considerably higher survival chances.
The use of the transceiver precedes the use of the probe pole
and the use of the probe pole precedes the use of the shovel.
Carrying a radio or a mobile phone to call for help is highly
recommended.
