Meesh Hytner was doing typical pro-snowboarder things, participating in an informal backcountry competition in Colorado, when suddenly she found herself in a class-3 avalanche. Lucky for her, she was wearing an emergency airbag system, and lucky for you, there’s video.
Meesh (I love that name) was wearing a Backcountry Access Float 30, and it very possibly saved her life. The airbag allowed her to “float” on her back as the surface beneath her crumbled and swept her down the mountain. Not only did she survive, she was completely unscathed. She told Backcountry Access:
I felt like I was riding a mattress down the stairs… Thank you. This thing saved my life.
Meesh was very lucky. She was able to remain on her back and keep her feet facing downhill in order to keep her head from being smashed on any rocks. Luck aside, anybody who’s venturing out on virgin slopes should seriously consider an airbag safety device like this one. Big wave surfers are integrating a similar system in their wetsuits, and it’s great to see that the winter-sports version works as advertised. [BCA via GrindTV]
JonBOY
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 11:22 AMAs if that’s not the greatest advertising ever for the company that makes the airbag. Well deserved though given that the thing actually works!
MD
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 3:52 PMWas it really an accident, or product testing…. remarkable how the bag worked exactly as designed… (been around a while still good to see it in action) still need a transponder and the rest of the safety gear if going back country in winter. Makes it easier to find if the bag gets popped.
But it is a very different thing setting off an avalanche starting on top), versus being a poor sucker (village) at the bottom of a ravine getting hit by one… Watch how die lawine smashes trees, houses, etc…. Probably in most cases prevention beats a cure…. take care you never know what is beneath your feet.
Jack
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 3:59 PMKind of takes away the dangers, makes me sad that I wont get to see anymore surfers getting smashed to the brink of death by waves.
Sam
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 4:31 PMWhat I wonder is how air bags would be “cool” for surfers, I mean they could have had inflating life jackets for years? But nah, they’ll just keep punching people in the face for stealing their sweet wave bro. Douches..
Trav
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 10:26 PMI ride backcountry and anything that can make the sport safer is great and the bags are shown to work for some types of avalanches. In most cases you are either screwed or gonna come out on top. Then there is the percentage in between when these work. In this case i don’t think the bags did anything at all and she would’ve come out on top either way.