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May 2, 2000
There's encouraging news for mountaineers and backcountry skiers-- anyone who ventures into avalanche country.
Scientific research is backing a safety device developed here in Salt Lake City.
News Specialist Jed Boal has the story.
At Snowbird last winter, researchers buried volunteers in snow to see how long they could survive.
They used this breathing apparatus called the Avalung, developed at Black Diamond of Salt Lake City.
That study showed the Avalung worked.
The results are in the latest edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The president of Black Diamond, Peter Metcalf says it's very satisfying.
"IN A CONTROLLED BURIAL, YOU WILL STAY ALIVE."
Doctor Colin Grissom, an LDS Hospital pulmonary care specialist, lead the research.
The Avalung lets avalanche victims expel carbon dioxide and safely breathe available air from the surrounding snow.
They found a person can survive an hour or longer buried in an avalanche, breathing with the Avalung.
Dr. Colin Grissom/LDS Pulmonary Care Specialist: "THAT SIXTY MINUTES GIVES A SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM MUCH MORE TIME TO FIND A PERSON WHILE THEY'RE STILL ALIVE."
Jed Boal/Eyewitness News: IN ADDITION TO THE RESEARCH, BLACK DIAMOND RECENTLY RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE FIRST SKIER THEY KNOW OF WHO SURVIVED AN AVALANCHE USING AN AVALUNG."
Peter Metcalf/Black Diamond President: FIRST THING HE REMEMBERED, HE WAS FREAKING OUT. HE HEARD THE FLUTTER VALVE IN THE AVALUNG AND REALIZED 'I WAS BREATHING.'"
It won't save all victims. Twenty-five percent of avalanche victims die from trauma.
It should be used with an avalanche transceiver, a shovel, and good judgement. But it can save lives.
"EVEN KNOWLEDGABLE CONSERVATIVE SKIERS GET CAUGHT IN AVLANCHES AND DIE. AND THAT'S WHERE THE AVALUNG MIGHT BE USEFUL."
Now Black Diamond plans to make it smaller, lighter and even easier to use.
