If You're Ever Buried Alive, This Is the Only Way to Escape
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If you’re heading out into the backcountry, check for avalanche risk in your area first!
USA: avalanche.org/#/current
Canada: www.avalanche.ca/start-here
Trapped in an avalanche, you know you don’t have a long time left. Oxygen deprivation is imminent, and the weight of the snow burying you in makes it impossible to move. Dangerous backcountry skiing trips can end up with death, and even when you’re careful, you can find yourself in an unplanned situation. Let’s get into it!
Sources:
[How to Survive an Avalanche]
utahavalanchecenter.org/educa...
• How to Survive a Poten...
www.travelandleisure.com/trav...
www.mentalfloss.com/article/5...
[Avalanche Safety]
www.wildsnow.com/10011/alpha-...
www.weather.gov/safety/winter...
www.avalanche.ca/start-here
www.avalanche.ca/en/map
avalanche.org/#/current
[How do Avalanches Form]
science.howstuffworks.com/nat...
[How Avalanche Risk is Calculated]
www.snowplaza.co.uk/blog/1937...
snow.guide/avalanche-danger-sk...
backcountryaccess.com/en-ca/b...
[Avalanche Rescue]
www.scienceabc.com/eyeopeners...
www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com...
[Other Sources]
• Video
• Video
• Mulan Avalanche Scene
• Brother Bear 2 - Nita ...
• RECCO technology - how...
• Avalanche Rescue Serie...
• The Avalanche Dogs of ...
• Avalanche Rescue Serie...
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Squidward
Already got one
Thanks Lad. I got one for me and my other half. I am now LORD MF
Got a plot free thanks to The Spiffing Brit last year. Even though my order was "canceled" I still got it.
Love your animations and art style.
This video is the perfect amount of time for someone that's stuck in an avalanche
Yeah
yeah
Yee
Yeah
Yeah, but without the jokes it’ll be less time taken
Ayo, just noticed one major flaw in this video: the transceiver was always shown as attached to the outside of the jacket, it absolutely has to be as close to your skin as possible in order to prevent it from tearing off since branches or debris might destroy your clothes.
I’m sure that was just so that Brew could have it visible!
Eyyyyy! good point thanks for that.
@@downhomesunset i appreciate him tho cuz im kinda slow sometimes and didn't even think about that.
Yes very good point.
the biggest flaw in this video is way the profesionals check the snow conditions, they dont take snow and melt it, the real snow pros make a snow pit and check the snow layers with several test like preassure on the snow with a shovel, how hard is the snow with your finger in between layers, nothing too fancy, theres no lab in the mountain
RIP Brad. You will be missed.
So sad):
It's ok - Brad was secretly a badguy who set all this up as a sacrifice to the mountain god. He'll be back in the sequel.
Brad was rad, it's sad
@@Edramon53 Wait... there is a sequel?!
rip
For those who are really taking risks knowingly, you can increase a lot your chances to float by taking with you an avalanche airbag. It won't protect you from shocks like a car airbag, but it's a balloon in your back that helps you float, considering that an avalanche acts like a fluid. However, it takes space and weight. 7 lb to carry all the time, plus your water and stuff. But it can save your life.
They are also fairly expensive but all of this is true. Was hoping he would discuss them in this video
Ok i understand
also and big rock works too. just shove a big rock in your backpack. you can trust me, im a scientist. trust the science.
Very good advice. It’ll help you float and even if you don’t it’ll help you stay closer to the surface, and even if you end up buried deep, it will create a much bigger air pocket for you to breath in and potential space to move in, once it deflates.
After looking at the price of some of the lifesaving gear you could take with you in case of these scenarios, I now understand why snow sport enthusiasts go without it.
My grandmother was buried when she was a child, her parents thought she had died. She was actually almost dead, but woke up alive again in the night and came back to home. Everyone was scared at her home. She also remembers seeing herself being buried as if her consciousness was still there lurking around her.
Yeah that almost confused me. I was gonna be like your grandmother died as a child, how are you here then.
@@knie1172 They said her parents thought she was dead, so it was just a mistake.
what am i reading
Okay but how did she get out?…. Especially as a child? We need more info!
She woke up at night back at home after being dug out and rushed to the hospital, I guess she just doesn't remember any of what happened or was passed out the entire time
Did anyone else get this video recommended after seeing the amazing hero skier rescue the upside down snowboarder.
🤚🏻present!
Same.
Lol yeah
Yup
Nah, I wanted to see what to do if that happened to me.
I was in an avalanche risk managing course once, and we had one exercise where we got partally buried (just the upper body, the legs weren't buried, and were used to signal when we wanted to be dug out). I used to think I would be able to move enough to expand the space around me, but after that exercise, I can say for a fact that if you were buried by an avalance, you would not be able to move at all. Worst of all is your chest is compressed by the pressure from hundreds of kilograms of snow, making you unable to take full breaths if you are even lucky enough to be able to breathe at all. You should always carry a transmitter so that you can be found if you get buried, as that is the best way to easily be found under the snow. If you need to dig someone out, it is also important to know you can not just dig straight down, you have to make a trench so that you can pull them out sideways, as pulling a person straight up out of packed snow is virtually impossible.
I live in Australia where there is no snow in my area, and I do not plan to go skiing or visiting a place with snow. Yet, I didn't know how much I needed this video. This was great. Thanks!
e
learning the safety of dangerous things is extremely useful for random circumstance :y
Might also work in red dust?
Never been to the blue mountains, aye.
@@polocs2307 lolll true
This is one of my worst nightmares. Combines my extreme fear or suffocating to death, and my claustrophobia. Ugh it makes me shiver just thinking about it
Here same
*shiver* (avalanche with cold snow)
I had to skip most of the video because of same reason.
Ikr, although it’s not nearly as terrifying as stories of underwater cave diving gone wrong 😱.
@@skittles-circus-sys what you doin here snuy?
Gotta say, that's a pretty terrifying way to go out.
Squidward
@@fluoressmsm1507 I... don’t understand
Vierto in the salsa is what he asked for 😔
@@fluoressmsm1507 Squidward.
@@kittendoesstuff492 Squidward
If you are going into the back country, I highly advise you carry an avalanche air bag. They are worn like a parachute but function like an inflatable life vest. There is a ripcord (typically on the shoulder strap) that will break the seal on a couple of air cylinders and surround your upper body with an air bag. This will make you less dense than the snow and ensure that you remain upright. You may still need to wait for someone to help dig out your feet, but your head won't be under the snow and you'll be plenty easy to spot.
Sounds like a popsicle.
Or a tasty snack for a nearby animal. it should come with something smelly to drive animals away.
@@jessiejanson1528 Animals are more often attracted to things we would find 'smelly'. No scent is better.
@@395203502 surely there is a scent they dont like. though i suppose it might differ with each animal.
Not true
bro the way you narrate the situation gave me chills for some reason and _i_ almost panicked (even if i haven't even skied before, let alone touched real snow)
I took part in avalanche training two years ago, run by elite rescue team in Tatra mountains in Poland. We have slightly different procedures which is normal since avalanches are a little different in our mountains. However - best way to survive avalanche is to avoid in the first place. And best way to avoid it is no to go the mountains if the conditions are bad... it's almost impossible to predict if avalanche goes off or not.
so what youre saying is just dont go in the mountains in the snow?
Ah, nasze przepiękne Tatry
We always blast ours/set them off on purpose before they get too big 🧨
@@evilspyke5760 Do not leave your house. Stay under the bed or in the closet just to be sure.
@@prioris55555 only if youre there with me, cuddle buddy.
Suffocation is my biggest fear. I've been choked to the point of blacking out before and that was terrifying enough.
Yh i witnessed my mum being choked to unconsciousness. Thought she was dead as i was only 12 its terrifying. Hope you're doing well now
@@kenno99999 I hope you're doing well as well!
@@kenno99999 Oh man, I'm so, so very sorry to hear that! I hope you are both doing better now!
@@bobbiscub iv completely cut my mum and brother from my life now. Unfortunately they're just too toxic and even though the step dad was abusive... My mum was too and carried it on after they ended when i was 17 and im 29 xD happy they are out of my life and iv had some counselling
Bdsm freak
Rip to my 4 fellow swedes who died in the austrian avalanche a few days ago
The nearest Ski field to me also happens to be an active volcano. Do the same rules apply for a lava flow?
Oh yeah it’s pretty much the same. Except, the rescue might be less like 15 minutes and more like 15 million years. And instead of a rescue team it will be a team of alien archeologists. Also, your body will have fossilised. But they will probably put you in a museum! I bet your display case will hover and everything! That will be cool at least.
You burn alive within seconds of course not
@@pacomatic9833 false
@@pacomatic9833 bro whatchu talkin about
@@coloradohikertrash9958 Wouldn't your clothes and skin ignite if they touched lava? Or would those things just melt?
I'm so glad you told us that the the safest place to be is outside the path of the avalanche, I would have never guessed!
The only advice in the whole video was that, LOL
There was tons of other advice 😭😭
I've never been afraid of getting stuck in an avalanche. But now I am! Thanks!
The lord program is kinda bad. Big companies and people buy up land in Scotland and they then fall in to decay. In my town there is many areas of where there is land that people want to buy but can't because of these lord schemes. Kinda annoying when there is what used to be a building or a nice grass area get torn up to then be left with a fence around it. Big problem in Scotland people wanting to buy land but someone else owns it and won't give it up (Dukes).
Ok but what does that have to do with playing the game of chess
wrong video but i agree
@@AnotherAvaibleName not the wrong video, you just skipped the sponsor and have no clue what he's talking about.
I mean... not building things there is kinda the point of preservation, but other than that you're not wrong
If someone owns something and doesn't want to sell it, they aren't required to just because you want to buy it. Nor do they have to "give it up" just because you don't like the situation.
Drowning of sufficating has to be the worst way to go. Knowing you are dying and being fully aware of it all right to the end. I can't imagine it.
You should be fine on a resort mountain if there are no signs saying not to go somewhere because usually they will dynamite blast the mountain before opening it to make sure all potential avalanches are safely activated
I needed something to watch before going to work, so this is perfect, thanks 😊 although I hope none of us ever get in a situation where we'd need this knowledge haha
No
I needed something to watch while i was stuck in an avalanche so this helps
@@fluoressmsm1507 yes
This was such a good video - and I think that rescue segment was my favourite animation you have ever done. The dog, the stick, the hand grab.
I'll keep this in mind when I'm in an avalanche thanks mate
Squidward
There are also avalanche life vests that you can wear. They inflate from around your neck with either a rip cord or impact censor and float your head above the snow.
One thing not mentioned is that you can use very long red or other bright colored straws that you can poke above the snow line so they can see where you are positioned
But you have to know which way is up and be able to move for that to work
To find out which way is up, allow saliva to slowly leave your mouth. It'll flow down.
While under avalanche your hands are trapped, you cant even take out your probe, let alone the cocktail straws you took with you, because without straws you do not leave home into backcountry
I took an avi course a couple weeks ago and I'm surprised how well made this was. You did your research!
Remaining calm and relax is the key to survive in any situation. This is something I've taught to my kids during long distance swimming.
I don't plan on going skiing or anything of the sort any time soon but this was still incredibly interesting info! Also felt a bit heartbroken at the fate of our dear friend brad... Rip brad
I Didnt expect this video to end on a sad note. Rest in Peace Brad 😢
"A Crew of your friends found you and taken you to the hospital" - An Amazing Ending
Good
thanks brew i will definitely use this in the future when i am in an avalanche
Yes
Rip brad. Weather he knew or not before he died; Brad in directly saved man's life.
Me, someone living in the Caribbean that has never seen snow his my life watching this video instead of working: Interesting
Like the story presentation of this one, great job. Informative and enteraining.
I didn’t realize Gryll and Chill were a couple. Happy for them
Is that official? A valentines gift doesn't need to be romantic. Allthough I would also be happy if they are.
@@traywor1615 valentine's gift aren't romantic?
@@traywor1615 they never say it outright, but they hint at it. They also share a bed as seen in other episodes
@@johnsteinat5213 yeah there are lots of little clues amongst the years
@@_NekOz They certainly can be, but don't have to be. It depends on your social circle and culture. A gift for a dear friend could also be just that, a gift. You know, one shouldn't judge a gift based on what day it is.
Loud noises might not cause avalanches, but cannons and other artillery can be used to start them, and those do make loud noises when operated…
Yeah but explosions also have shock waves. Which is the part that creates the avalanche rather than just the sound.
There are some avalanche air-space devices, like a collar or vest that inflate before you get buried and protect the neck and face. The last product I remember being shown was back in 2016. A "Before and after" helmet that bloomed out a four inch tubular frame down the sides of the face and chest after you tumble and (2 sets) again manually triggered with oxygen. The fabric was a wire laced radio signal booster and there was a beacon and sound alarm that could be paused for talking. .. I think it was by 3M or the fabric, at least.
“If you see an avalanche coming then step out of the way.” Wow! Revolutionary stuff 👍🏾
I WANT THIS JOB! Going around in beautiful snowy mountainous areas, collecting snow and ice, and then taking it back to measure the mass is _my dream job._ I didn't know that until just now, but I WANT THIS JOB!
I think you’re supposed to start by working at a ski resort.
I do not live in an area of snow and i do not plan on doing any activities like skiing, but im gonna watch this anyway if the situation ever does arise :)
Always better to be prepared. Also, you never know when you can give that advice to someone else who didn't watch this video and might be in this situation.
No one ever means for these things to happen……
I live in Southeast Asia(Malaysia), I really need this incase it snows. Thanks Brew, very cool.
You got me confused there Brew... 🥴 I´m not supossed to panic, but dogs guide themselves with panic hormones..... 🤔🤔 Now i´m pre-panicking because i don´t know whether i should panic... 😑😑
agree
You have panic hormones even if you try to remain calm.
In an avalanche burial scenario, snow's insulative properties are both a blessing and a curse. You can stay alert longer and call for help. But your body also won't cool fast enough to preserve oxygen. If I had to choose between the two, I'd rather go into an oxygen conserving hypothermic coma and get dug out and revived at my rescuers' leisure, so to speak. But snow being the way it is, I'd just suffocate.
Then u risk frostbite
This is really good at inducing empathetic claustrophobia anxiety 😬😬😬 My buddy works ski patrol between Aspen, Vail and Telluride…avalanches, even minor ones result in fatalities every season, and even seasoned skiers succumb. He’s lost a few friends during rescues.
Me who lives in Australia watching this in case I get an avalanche on the coast of a desert: :o
Real
Me who lives in Australia were it snows alot :o
This was explained so well. Thank you.
they also make airbag backpack things that deploy during an avalanche, the air pocket on your back helps to keep you above the surface of the snow
Type 'F' to pay respects for our lost brother, Brad.
F
F
F
F
Y?
Would have liked to hear your take on avalanche air bags
Wow! These tips are very useful!
Perfect video to watch before I go skiing in 2 weeks 😭. But seriously thanks for the info
Been there, done that. If you are near surface, you can see your breath glazing the snow with sheet of ice while hearing the rescuers caving out you until our last breath.
Thanks for the info mates
(:
Ski resorts also employ explosive devices to set off avalanches in a controlled setting, usually off the backside of the mountain. They used to use artillery guns back in the day XD. I have a RECCO reflector in my ski jacket. Not many brands have them stitched in and you usually have to buy a seperate one, but I am so happy mine came with one :)
This is really well done.
I live in an actual desert and I'm ready to apply what I learned
I know this isn’t an actual real group of friends but I keep thinking about how Brad helped saved the surviving friends life. Without Brad than he wouldn’t have seen to hold his hand over his face and they both may have died that day. In a way Brad helped save his life. RIP Brad
If it makes you feel better, Brad wasn't signaling to him, he just noticed him bc the sun was hitting his goggles and he saw the hand up in the air which reminded him of the position that you are taught in ski classes to do if an avalanche occurs. Brad didnt think he needed a beacon. Unfortunately, Brad =/= Chad
I forgot I was subbed to you and I’m happy I didn’t forget
man, this gave me anxiety. well done!
So what you're telling me is that if I get trapped, my life only depends on others.
Not necessarily, you can still dig a small hole to let yourself breathe to last longer. But since you always go skiing in a controlled environment and with trained personnel looking for you, you can ensure that you can be found. Sometimes relying on other people can help, you don’t have to man up every single time you get into trouble.
I never knew I needed Scottsman Grill until now
Thanks Brew
The ending of the video filled me with an immense sense of relief for some reason.
me, living in a tropical country: interesting, could be handy, who knows
guys just go to a designated skii resort. They monitor avalanche threats season long and go to lengths to intentionally trigger avalanches under controlled circumstances, to prevent accidents and.victims
I am an avalanche survivor, some moments you mentioned happened exactly as it was described. Got buried, stayed calm for 2 seconds until I realize I cannot move a limb, panic stage and screaming for help for 15 seconds, remembering that I have to save my breath and I have a beacon, circling with my finger to create a slightly larger pocket, realization of the fact that others are probably buried too and I don’t know who is available to help me, the moment it hits you! Moments you got wrong in my case is I passed out in about 2-3mins, you create an impregnable pocket as you breath and snow around your mouth turns into ice not letting oxygen in. Spitting to know your position won’t help as you are in no position to help yourself. I was found 2 meters under and airway opened in 15-16 mins after burial. 2 people unfortunately passed, 1 from suffocation other from trauma.
+ if I died I wouldn’t know, it’s not like suffocating under water.
This is cool infographic!
0:25 If you are skiing in the back country and you don't imagine being in an avalanche, you probably should not be skiing at all, let alone in the back country. You need to know the danger signs of a possible avalanche so you will know the places to avoid, are the places where you need to trigger an avalanche when everyone is safely out of the way.
"You're checked over for injuries and frostbite at the hospital. But thankfully you have no fingers or toes" 14:32
Wow! That’s so amazing
Literally stay calm and carry on
I'm stuck in an avalanche and I only have time to watch 1 escape video, is this the right one!?!?!?
E
Dead
Imagine if he actually died
😢😭🤣
i live in the BC mountains and i can say now that most of the guys i know will have the transponder on the inside not outside of the jacket and also they will carry a small can of air that will let them survive for longer most of them will have 2 hours of extra air. great video tho
I haven't been skiing for 20 some years but this was very interesting.
I love the story it makes the video more entertaining.
It's my birthday today lol ^^ excited to watch this video.
Ok
Happy Birthday!! Hope you have a great day 🎉🎉
Happy birthday
Happy birthday! :D
rip brad he was a real one
Brad was a true Hero!
I never intend to ski or do something that would risk me getting in this situation but hey it’s good to know and satisfy my paranoia somehow
No accents were brutally slaughtered in the making of this film. Hehehehe
I agree
My school is going on a skiing trip soo if anything happens this will be helpful
Ok
Just don’t go off the trails to far
Snow is something like 90% air, you don't run out of air, your hot breath melts the snow around your head, which freezes back into an ice crust that the air, just mm away, can't get through. Inflatable avalanche backpacks (to keep you near the top of the snow like the big chips on the top of a bag of chips), and breathing tubes (so you can pull air from the snowpack away from your face, if you are lucky enough to have it in your mouth after you are done crashing) are both pretty cool ways to self rescue or extend your survival time. Also, fresh powder is a good time to ski in bounds at a resort, backcountry is generally much safer after having a few days to stabilize. Local avalanche forecasting agencies and AIARE (or equivalent) avalanche classes are your best source of info. I'm just an rando on the internet. RIP Brad, this was more or less your fault, but dying still sucks.
this is nice to know... I live in Florida though.
I can't help but feel like this is something I'd love to experience. Even if it does cost me my life.
100% - suffocating, the darkness, not being able to move, the claustrophobia... everything I don't want to experience, but I'd be totally okay going in an avy
Thank you for the lack of a pun at the end. Even hypothetical people like Brad should have a respectful passing.
Yeah a pun about Brad's death would have just been cold.
@@synthemagician4686 NOOOOOOOOOO
@@synthemagician4686 🚪👈
Just started watching video I heard the first thing to do when buried by one is spit to figure out which way is up so you can dig in the correct direction some people have been found dead cuz they could have dug themselves out but dug in the wrong way
3:45 Wow, you learn something new everyday.
Hi nice video! But you forgot one tool that has saved more lives than most, the auto inflatable bags, they go on your upper back and keep you close to the surface of the avalanche, are bright colored to help rescue efforts and give you a bigger pocket to move in if you are completely covered....
Interesting video
Yes i agree
this video... not only made me panic of an impending avalanch... but also made me realise... that whatevery person caught in an avalanche needs is a air jacket, like the bubble one seen in james bond... Also i live on a street where the closest mountain with snow is france... which is over seas... i think im good, great video tho!!
good vid.
How do the rescurers know they were stuck in an avalache if everyone in the group got caught in it?
The Avalanche receiver has sensors that monitor the person wearing it, once the sensors detect something is wrong, it alerts rescue crews. So even though nobody in the group was able to call for help, the receiver itself called for rescue crews after its sensors picked up information that suggested the people were buried. At least this is my understanding of it.
An avalanche is kind of a hard thing to miss
@@synthemagician4686 I would also imagine that if the area is close to where people live, they check EVERY avalanche, just in case
I hope you looked into that sponsor to make sure they are actually "preserving" that land
Nooo Brad! Why did he have to go?! What a cold cruel world!
Its been about 2 and a half years man it's been a minute sup brew
This is a made up story but my heart still dropped when I found out Brad didn’t make it 😭💀
I’ll comeback to this when I’m alive or dead in an avalanche
Yes
Better than alive or dead in a shoebox
Best video I’ve seen so far. Beats CNN and Insider