Item: Shoveling Education at Work: A Case Study. Success Story on Mt. Proctor, BC
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Title: Shoveling Education at Work: A Case Study. Success Story on Mt. Proctor, BC
Proceedings: Proceedings Whistler 2008 International Snow Science Workshop September 21-27, 2008
Authors:
- Bruce Edgerly [ Vice President, Backcountry Access, Inc., Boulder, Colorado ]
- Ian Bezubiak [ Fernie, British Columbia, Canada ]
- Todd Weselake [ Fernie, British Columbia, Canada ]
- Janina Kuzma [ Waneka, New Zealand ]
Date: 2008-09-26
Abstract: It may sound fundamental, but shoveling education is an important new frontier in avalanche education. Teaching shoveling techniques can make the difference between life and death when students are involved in a rescue-especially when the burial is deep. A success story near Fernie, British Columbia illustrates that learning to shovel properly can indeed save a life. In this case, a 23-year-old snowboarder was recovered alive after a large slab avalanche buried him two meters deep. The rescuers attribute their successful rescue to an extremely fast beacon search and the shoveling techniques they learned one month before in a recreational avalanche course. This case study provides evidence that shoveling education truly pays off in recreational avalanche courses.
Language of Article: English
Presenters: Ian Bezubiak
Keywords: shovels, probes, transceivers, strategic shoveling, avalanche rescue, excavation
Page Number(s): 441
Subjects: education
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