Item: TO PROBE OR NOT TO PROBE: EVALUATING FINE SEARCH STANDARDS AND THE ROLE OF PROBING IN SHALLOW BURIAL PROFESSIONAL RESCUE SCENARIOS
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Title: TO PROBE OR NOT TO PROBE: EVALUATING FINE SEARCH STANDARDS AND THE ROLE OF PROBING IN SHALLOW BURIAL PROFESSIONAL RESCUE SCENARIOS
Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026
Authors:
- Ben Merkle [ Copper Mountain Ski Patrol & Mount Hutt Ski Patrol ]
Date: 2026-09-28
Abstract: The first thirty minutes of the avalanche burial survival curve are the steepest, and even small time savings in gaining airway access can improve patient outcomes. During rescue practice competitions at Mt Hutt, New Zealand, the fastest times were consistently recorded by searchers who skipped probing and began shoveling when their transceiver indicated the burial target was less than approximately half a meter deep. This observation sparked the question: does skipping the probing step result in faster airway access times for shallow burials? This study analyzed rescue times for single professional rescuer, shallow burial scenarios (60 centimeters) in a relatively flat, artificial debris field, comparing times with and without probe use. Rescuers (n=25) accessed the burial target's simulated airway faster when skipping the probing step, saving an average of 39 seconds with a standard deviation of 70 seconds. This finding prompts a holistic risk benefit analysis to see if the benefits of the shorter time to airway access outweigh the extra training, additional rescue decisions, and potential for physical trauma to buried subject. We recommend that professional rescuers carefully consider this tactic's advantages and disadvantages before implementing it operationally.
Object ID: ISSW2026_P2.17.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790098920
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Benjamin Merkle
Keywords: Avalanche rescue, Professional rescue, Shallow burial, Probe, Fine Search
Page Number(s): 638 - 643
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