Early studies have indicated that within the first 15 minutes of burial, there was a survival probability of 92%. The survival probability decreased sharply to just 30% at 35 minutes after burial, primarily due to acute asphyxia. Long-term survival beyond 130 minutes was only 2.6% (Falk, M., Brugger, H., and Adler-Kastner, L. Avalanche survival chances. 1994. Nature. 368:21). For backcountry travelers, this means having party members that not only have the proper equipment (e.g., shovels, probes, avalanche transceivers) but also the knowledge to quickly and effectively use those tools to perform a rescue.
This is an incomplete collection of finds by trained avalanche search dogs working at the request of official agencies. Data between 1969 and 2006 for the United States was compiled by Dan Comden and used with permission - information was provided by Corey Aist, Patti Burnett, Mary Cablk, Bruce Cheshier, Cameron Daggett, Hatch Graham, Dan O’Connor, Sally Santeford, Ray Shriver, Mark Sickles, Bill Tai, Deb Tirmenstein, and Janet Wilts.
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Table 1. Finds by trained Avalanche Dogs, last updated 2006.
| Year | Location | Status | Subjects | Depth | Burial duration | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Rainy Pass, AK | Deceased | 1 | 2.3 m | 10 days | Snow machine | Subject located adjacent to snow machine |
| 2003 | Avalanche Bowl, Teton Pass, WY | Deceased | 1 | 1 m + | 24 hours + | Snowboarding | "[subject] was buried under about two feet from the slide he provoked. The other two feet of snow slid into the gully from the search team’s avalanche bombs." |
| 2002 | Jackson Peak, WY | Deceased | 1 | unknown | unknown | Backcountry skiing | |
| 2002 | near Victor, ID | Deceased | 1 | < 1 m | unknown | Snow machine | |
| 2002 | Mt. Rose, NV | Deceased | 1 | 0.5 m | 3-3.5 hours | Snowboarding | |
| 2002 | Mt. Abundance, MT | Deceased | 2 | ~ 1 m | 5 hours | Snow machine | |
| 2002 | Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT | Deceased | 2 | Snowboarding | |||
| 2001 | Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT | Deceased | 2 | 2-3 m | < 24 hours | Climbing | |
| 2001 | Eureka Lodge, AK | Deceased | 2 | 3 m | 2 hours, 24 hours | Snow machine | |
| 2001 | near The Canyons, UT | Deceased | 1 | 3.2 m | 3 hours, 12 minutes | Backcountry skiing | |
| 2000 | Snowbasin, UT | Deceased | 1 | 1-1.8 m | ~40 hours | Plane crash | Search was for single victim of plane crash within ski area boundary. |
| 2000 | near Redoubt Volcano, AK | Deceased | 1 | 0.6 m | 48 hours | Plane crash | Search was for victims of December 20, 2000 air crash. Subject was buried under 2 feet of snow. |
| 2000 | Arapahoe Basin, CO | Deceased | 1 | 0.2 m | < 24 hours | Snowboarding | |
| 2000 | Summit Lake, AK | Deceased | 1 | 1.5 m | 19 hours | Snow machine | |
| 2000 | Crystal Mountain, WA | Deceased | 1 | 1 m | 2 hours | Backcountry skiing | |
| 1999 | Diamond Peak, CO | Deceased | 1 | minimal | 24 hours | ||
| 1999 | Little Willow, UT | Deceased | 1 | 0.6 m | 2 hours | Snowshoeing | |
| 1998 | Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT | Deceased | 1 | 0.6 m | 1 hour | Snowboarding | |
| 1998 | Donner Summit, CA | Deceased | 1 | 1 m | 1 hour | Snowboarding | |
| 1998 | Cantwell, AK | Deceased | 1 | 2.1 m | ~20 hours | Snow machine | "Two dog teams responded on April 25-26, 1998 to an avalanche just inside Denali National Park near Cantwell, Alaska in the Bull River drainage area. One snowmachiner was buried for about 20 hrs. Both dogs gave mild alerts on the subject within the first 15 minutes of the search and indicated a location for probers to work. The subject was buried in seven feet of dense snow. The dogs alerted 6-8 feet up hill of the subject." |
| 1997 | Girdwood, AK | Deceased | 1 | 0.6 m | 23 hours | Hiking | Subject was hiking with partner on Sunday, November 23, in the Crows Pass area when she was caught in the avalanche at 1400 hrs. Searchers arrived on the scene after slope stabilization was done (12 charges) on Monday, November 24. Within 4 minutes the first search dog alerted on the subject. |
| 1997 | Kenai Mountains, AK | Deceased | 1 | 1.2 m | 24 hours | ||
| 1997 | Beavers, CO | Deceased | 1 | 1.1 m | 1 hour | Snowboarding | |
| 1997 | Cottonwood Creek, CO | Deceased | 1 | 1.4 m | 24 hours | ||
| 1996 | Galena Summit, ID | Deceased | 2 | ~0.6 m | 1.25 hours | Snowboarding | "January 5, 1996 avalanche at Galena Summit, Blaine County, Idaho. Avalanche was triggered by two snowboarders walking out onto the slope 50' from the highway. A third person (skier) had already crossed the slope and skied down 250' and was waiting. It happened at 14:45 hrs. The rescue teams arrived and then the dog team arrived at 15:56 hrs. At 16:17 dog makes first find, second find at 16:18. The two victims were 4' apart buried about 2' deep". |
| 1996 | WY | Deceased | 1 | 1.5 m | 2-3 hours | ||
| 1995 | Crystal Lakes, CO | Deceased | 1 | 1.1 m | 24 hours | ||
| 1994 | Summit City, CO | Alive | 1 | 1.1 m | 14 minutes | ||
| 1994 | Peters Ridge, MT | Deceased | 1 | 3.7 m | ~24 hours | ||
| 1994 | Lulu Pass, MT | Deceased | 1 | 0.5 m | 24 hours | ||
| 1993 | Kirkwood, CA | Alive | 1 | 1.6 m | 15 minutes | Burial and recovery at Kirkwood ski area. | |
| 1993 | WY | Alive | 1 | 2.1 m | 1-2 hours | ||
| 1993 | West Yellowstone, MT | Deceased | 1 | 1.3 m | 3 hours | ||
| 1992 | Montezuma, CO | Deceased | 1 | 2.9 m | 19 hours | ||
| 1990 | West Yellowstone, MT | Deceased | 1 | 0.5 m | ~6 hours | ||
| 1990 | Alta, UT | Deceased | 1 | 0.6 m | 2 days | Downhill skiing | Lift skier, skiing alone, collision with a tree, died on impact. Blizzard that night and next day, and victim could not be found. Day 2 the weather cleared and dog team located the victim. |
| 1988 | Plummer Peak, WA | Deceased | 1 | 2 m | ~30 hours | ||
| 1988 | Berthoud Pass, CO | Deceased | 1 | 1.9 m | 4-7 days | ||
| 1987 | Shrine Pass, CO | Deceased | 2 | 2 m | 5 hours | ||
| 1987 | Breckenridge, CO | Deceased | 1 | 2 m | 3 days | ||
| 1987 | Pearl Pass, CO | Deceased | 1 | 6 m + | 6 months | ||
| 1987 | Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT | Deceased | 1 | 0.7 m | 1 hour | Cross-country skiing | |
| 1986 | Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT | Deceased | 1 | 1.7 m | 45 minutes | Snowboarding | Refer to Snowy Torrents 86-9. |
| 1982 | Alpine Meadows, CA | Alive | 1 | 4 m? | ~48 hours? | Information estimated by D. Comden. | |
| 1981 | Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT | Deceased | 1 | 1.7 m | 2 hours | Cross-country skiing | Refer to Snowy Torrents 81-3. |
| 1980 | Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT | Deceased | 1 | 2.1 m | 7 hours | Cross-country skiing | Refer to Snowy Torrents 80-2. |
| 1978 | Taylor Creek, AK | Deceased | 4 | 1 m | 6 months | "Taylor Creek AK, slide 1/21/78, search 7/28/78. Four persons (deceased). One victim surfaced, solid dog find on 1 victim (3+ feet depth), and alerts on other two which couldn't be recovered but surfaced Sept/Oct 1979." | |
| 1976 | Sheep Mtn, AK | Deceased | 1 | 1.4 m | 3 days | ||
| 1969 | Mt. Rainier, WA | Deceased | 1 | 1.4 m | 48 hours | Snowy Torrents (69-15) reports that subject was buried in an avalanche at about 1030 on March 9th, 1969 near Panorama Point, above Paradise. At about 1030 on March 11th, (about 48 hours later) his body was located". |
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