THE YEAR OF THE DEADLY AVALANCHE Introduction

Transcription

1 THE YEAR OF THE DEADLY AVALANCHE Introduction Focus Each year new reports chronicle the tragedy of an individual or group of recreational skiers who find themselves victims of a freak avalanche. The winter of was particularly tragic as two major avalanches killed 14 people in the Rocky Mountains. Sections marked with this symbol indicate content suitable for younger viewers. Update On March 26, as this report was being prepared, two new avalanches in the same general area of B.C. claimed four more lives three snowmobilers and one heli-skier. At this point a total of 23 people have died in avalanches in British Columbia. When Canadians think about avalanches, generally their first thought contains a vision of massive tons of snow thundering down a mountainside. In the world as a whole, however, avalanches can mean a variety of things. Rockslides are avalanches of rock, which have detached from a mountain or hill. Mudslides usually occur after intense or long-term rainfall. This undermines the base of a hill or cliff, and the wet, muddy soil falls down the slope, sometimes crushing homes and killing people. Sometimes avalanches are associated with volcanoes; other times they occur under water, causing destructive tsunami waves. The word avalanche can strike fear in the hearts of many and excitement in the hearts of a few. What makes people choose to ski in dangerous areas? Why do they insist on challenging nature and placing their lives in danger? For some it is the same reason mountain climbers climb and skydivers jump. It is the rush of adrenaline and a living-on-the-edge quality of life that spurs them on. For others it might be a lack of respect for nature or even a simple lack of understanding. Whatever it is that encourages them, each year people die in the flash of a moment with tonnes of snow and ice pinning their bodies to the ground, crushing the life out of them. Is there a value, then, to the recreational sport of backcountry skiing? Of course there is. It provides a significant workout for the cardiovascular system. Muscles develop and people feel great after extensive and frequent exercise. It is, in part, for these reasons that people seek to challenge their bodies and for schools to support the exercise and activity that this sport provides. A healthy body is one better prepared to learn. Teenagers thrive on physical activity and it provides for them a wellbalanced approach to life. At what point, though, does the risk outweigh the benefit? Questions like these haunt those charged with the responsibility of deciding the level of acceptable risk. The principal of a school knows that whenever any risk is involved, he or she must never make the wrong decision. To be wrong means the potential death of a student. The wrong decision may place one in the shadow of grieving parents and suffering friends. It is then that the question of risk has true meaning. Is any level of risk worth a life? To Consider 1. Backcountry skiing can be a hazardous sport, leading to injury or even death. Based on the events of the winter of , should this sport be banned to the public in areas of considerable avalanche probability? Why? Why not? 2. Given the opportunity, would you choose to join a field trip where backcountry skiing in the mountains was planned? Explain. CBC News in Review April 2003 Page 32

2 THE YEAR OF THE DEADLY AVALANCHE Video Review Answer the questions on these pages while viewing the video. 1. Deaths from avalanches today are usually associated with what group of people? 2. What is the backcountry? 3. The Durand Glacier avalanche had a risk rating of considerable on the day seven skiers were killed. What does considerable mean? 4. Describe the experience of John Seibert, avalanche survivor, on that fateful day. 5. What was the claim to fame of avalanche victim Craig Kelly? 6. Even after the deaths of four of their friends, how many of the surviving skiers chose to continue their ski adventure the next day? 7. What fortunate coincidence aided in the rescue attempt of the first skier who survived? 8. How much of the Revelstoke economy depends on recreational backcountry skiing? CBC News in Review April 2003 Page 33

3 Did you know... Canada s worst avalanche took place in 1910 near Roger s Pass, B.C.? In that tragedy 62 workers were killed by a snow avalanche. Ironically they were in the pass trying to clear the debris from an earlier avalanche. 9. Why is Parks Canada opposed to closing the backcountry whenever there is an avalanche risk? 10. When do avalanches usually occur? 11. What human activities could cause an avalanche? 12. On average, Canada has how many avalanche deaths each year? 13. Canadian officials believe there are two reasons why backcountry skiing is safer now. What are these reasons? i) ii) 14. In your opinion can backcountry skiing ever be truly considered safe? Explain. CBC News in Review April 2003 Page 34

4 THE YEAR OF THE DEADLY AVALANCHE Backcountry Tragedy Further Research For more information about Strathcona- Tweedsmuir School and its activities, visit To view current avalanche conditions across Canada, visit the Canadian Avalanche Centre at On Monday, January 20, 2003, a tragedy occurred on the Durand Glacier near Revelstoke B.C. Seven tourists on a skiing holiday were swept away to their deaths by an avalanche reaching a level of 3.5 out of 5 on the severity scale. Twenty-one seasoned skiers set out that morning from their backcountry lodge. It was a beautiful day for skiing and they were well trained and capable of handling almost any emergency. At 11:00 a.m., without warning, a slab of ice and snow detached from the slope of the glacier with a thunderous clap. Suddenly the 30-by-100 metre shelf of snow plunged down on the skiers, burying 13. The quick actions of the remaining eight proved crucial in minimizing the tragedy. Six were saved, dug out by their comrades. Each had been equipped with homing signals and shovels. The remaining seven were too deeply buried, as much as five metres beneath the surface. They died quickly, crushed by the tonnes of snow pinning them down and blocking their ability to breathe. What was it like to be swept up in an avalanche? Survivor John Seibert explained his experience. It was like I was swimming down the roughest river I ve ever been in, trying to keep my head above the water (Toronto Star, Daniel Girard, January 22, 2003). It s like being in white water, then it stops and then it s like being in concrete. Seibert, 53, was buried up to his neck, his left arm sticking out of the snow beside him. The remainder of my body was locked in concrete-hard snow (Calgary Sun, Pablo Fernandez, January 22, 2003). The bodies of the seven victims of the avalanche were recovered and sent to Revelstoke. They included four Canadians Naomi Heffler, Jean-Luc Schwendener, Dave Finnerty, and Craig Kelly and three Americans Kathleen Kessler, Dennis Yates, and Ralph Lunsford. The skiers had been well prepared. They had participated in a pre-skiing weather update and they had the appropriate survival equipment. Collectively, I estimate our group had over 300 person-years of experience in the backcountry (Calgary Sun, Pablo Fernandez, 2003). This was a tragedy of significant proportions. It involved experienced skiers who were aware of the risks, well prepared, and confident. They knowingly chose to take the risk and were competent to do so. Less than two weeks later, in the same region, a group of 14 Grade 10 students from Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School, along with three adult leaders, met the same tragic fate. The school had a 20-year tradition of taking its students to the mountains to develop their skiing skills and to build character. Despite the tragedy of January 20, the school decided to continue with its plans. Parental permission slips had been signed, providing the approvals necessary to carry out a field trip. The teacher guides were experts in backcountry skiing and the students had completed a safety course designed to make them competent to participate in this adventure. On Friday, as the group s vans rode the four hours to Rogers Pass, they read CBC News in Review April 2003 Page 35

5 the avalanche warning signs and went through five long tunnels built because constant slides had buried the highway. Once in Rogers Pass, the students skied for 20 minutes from the highway to the A. O. Wheeler Hut, a three-bedroom log cabin maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada. That afternoon they skied near the cabin. Supervised by Andrew Nicholson and Dale Roth, avalanche-certified teachers, they dug avalanche pits, did snowpack testing and performed compression tests on every slope. They set out storm boards to collect the overnight snowfall and in the morning compared the samples with the snow already on the ground (Sports Illustrated, George Dohrmann, February 17, 2003). The teachers then checked with local officials to get the latest information about the region. The avalanche risk rating of moderate for the lower slopes indicated that naturally caused avalanches were unlikely, but humancaused avalanches were possible. A disturbing rating of considerable referred to the upper slopes. Mount Cheops, a 2590-metre peak, was among these and crossed the path of the next day s skiing. After discussing the matter with the students, they decided to proceed through that area the next day. The area had frequently been unstable, and the Canadian military routinely used artillery to create controlled avalanches. The snow in the area was layered due to the types of weather experienced by the region. These layers alternated from crusts to soft layers. This made the total area very unstable. The students followed standard safety practice. They formed a line of pairs with 50-foot intervals as they proceeded on their way. They wore beacons and carried shovels, well prepared for any eventuality. They were as prepared as they could have been, says Ingrid Healy, assistant head of school at STS. As anyone could have been (Sports Illustrated, George Dohrmann, February 17, 2003). The wind was clocked at about 25 km/h in the lower levels, but on the upper slopes it had been pounding the snow at over 70 km/h for a week. At 11:45 a.m., as the students were passing beneath the slopes of Mount Cheops, a massive slab of snow, 800 metres wide and a kilometre long, tore itself away from the peak and plummeted down onto the unsuspecting students. Within seconds they were buried. Fortunately two experienced skiers, Rich Marshall and Abby Watkins, were above the slide and saw where the bodies were buried. They immediately started down to the students and began to dig out those they could find. There were a few arms and legs protruding from the snow, so the first few finds were fairly simple. Fortuitously, the first survivor extracted from the snow had a cell phone. Emergency aid was called and within 45 minutes a crew of rescuers was digging in. Those who had managed to land near the surface were fine and easy to recover. The others, however, were too far down, and were impossible to reach. When all was said and done, seven bright young students were dead. Ben Albert, Daniel Arato, Scott Broshko, Alex Pattillo, Michael Shaw, Marissa Staddon, and Jeffrey Tricket were laid to rest in a series of services over the following days. The school was devastated. All field trips were cancelled and their future was placed under review. Some of the bereaved parents accepted the loss and maintained their support for the school s programs. Karl Staddon, Marissa s father said, From CBC News in Review April 2003 Page 36

6 our meetings I m persuaded that all precautions were taken. The avalanche was extraordinarily large, the rescue efforts were massive, and the survivors made heroic attempts to find additional survivors. I m at peace with the decision made to proceed with the trip that day (Calgary Sun, Licia Corbella, February 7, 2003). Other family members were not so forgiving. Daniel Arato s grandfather, John Konig, stated at Daniel s funeral, What saddens me is that this tragedy didn t have to happen. Whoever is in charge of these programs, I understand they say they are geared toward character building. I respect the intention, but to build character you need a live body. What kind of character are we trying to build by this type of adventure? Rambos? Conquerors? I think what the world needs is tolerance, compassion, wisdom, and I don t think you have to go hiking up a mountain for that. Forgive me as a bereaved grandfather expressing his thoughts, but I think these things should be rethought (Calgary Sun, Licia Corbella, February 5, 2003). It s absolutely critical that students safety is first and foremost, said Donna Broshko, whose son was killed in Saturday s accident at Glacier National Park. Nothing can erase or change what s happened and that s the part we have to live with, Brosko said yesterday. But they have to address this. If there is any risk to kids, should we be doing this? Absolutely not (Toronto Star, Daniel Girard, February 4, 2003). Responding Two tragedies occurred in the same area only days apart. In a carefully written paragraph or two, outline your opinion of the advisability of the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School ski trip that led to the deaths of seven students. CBC News in Review April 2003 Page 37

7 THE YEAR OF THE DEADLY AVALANCHE The Science of Avalanches Further Research To learn more about avalanches, landslides, rock falls, etc. consider a visit to the Terrain Sciences Division of the Geological Survey of Canada at sts.gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/ clf/landslides.asp. The avalanches that caused the tragedies killing a total of 14 persons last January and February were of the more destructive slab variety. This type of avalanche has a wide swath of snow detach as a coherent whole and precipitate down the slope, taking out anything it hits. Avalanches can consist of rock, mud, dirt, or snow. The first three are usually referred to as slides. Snow is always called an avalanche and comes in two varieties: loose-snow and slab. The loose-snow avalanche is usually found in soft, lightly packed snow that has little coherence. It starts with a small piece of snow detaching from the slope and grows in a fan-like manner as it descends. These avalanches are usually fairly small and have little destructive force. The slab avalanche results from a generally very coherent range of snow that has settled on a weak under layer, usually looser snow. The upper crust tends to lose its connection with the looser snow, and a large segment will detach and move down the slope as a whole. Shortly, this whole begins to break up, and the force grows until a swath of territory is stripped of snow and anything in its path. Trees, rocks, animals, or people will be thrown down the slope as well. The whole process takes little time, and the width of the slide can be considerable. When this happens, groups of people can be placed in a position where there is nowhere to go except into the flow. What is it that causes this detachment? The snow on a slope builds up over the course of winter. At times the snow is wet and will freeze, forming a hard crust. On top of that may be a drier layer that remains loose, followed again by a crusty layer. At some point the pressures created by these layers are affected by human activity or wind, or rapid thawing and freezing. It is then that the hazard becomes real. With a loud crack, a whole section of this snow will suddenly detach from the rest of the slope. It will shift as a whole, and then crumble as it descends. To predict the possibility of an avalanche there are a number of snow tests that can be done. These include the rutschblock test, slope test, shovel tilt and shovel shear tests, and compression test. In all cases these tests are designed to examine snow conditions. The rutschblock test has the skier cut out a piece of the snow and dig a trench on three sides. Once created, the skier then jumps and stands on the cut-out piece to see if a slide will occur. The compression test has the skier test a dug-out column of snow to see if a bit of force will compress the snow. The easier it is to compress the snow, the greater the risk of avalanche. The shovel shear and tilt tests are similar. In both the skier cuts a block of snow with his shovel and tries to force layers to separate. Again, the easier this can be done the greater the chance of an avalanche. These snow packs are fairly safe until you consider the trigger factors that might cause the slide. The skier should consider a range of possible triggers and account for them all. The wind, particularly on a lee slope, will be one trigger. The snow conditions as discovered by the various tests or through observation of the slopes are trigger factors. If the tests show shearing or CBC News in Review April 2003 Page 38

8 Further Research To view weather bulletins relating to avalanche conditions go to The Canadian Avalanche Centre Web site at weather/bulletins/ index.html. easy compression, or the weather suddenly warms up, these might signify a potential slide. Visible cracks in the pack or cracking sounds are obvious clues, as is the presence of other avalanches in the immediate region. Beyond these natural triggers, human triggers can also precipitate an avalanche. Skiers, snowboarders, or snowmobiles can create enough noise or spot pressure to start an avalanche. One intentional method of creating an avalanche is through the use of artillery. The Canadian Forces often use this method to clear an avalanche threat. The explosive charge detonates, creating a loud noise and destabilizing the snow enough to send it down the slope. This is done when no skiers are present. Protecting Skiers Beyond testing the consistency of the snow and observing the general conditions of a slope, what else can skiers do to protect themselves? First and foremost they can take an avalanche safety course. The training can mean the difference between life and death. Skiers can gain insights about how to react to an avalanche and learn how to utilize the safety equipment. The safety equipment they plan to take with them on a day s excursion should include a transceiver, a probe, and a shovel. Extra food, warm clothing, and a first-aid kit can make the aftermath of an avalanche survivable. Checking in with the local park authorities to determine the expected probability of an avalanche in the area is absolutely vital. After preplanning a safe route through the mountainous terrain, the group of skiers should form a line of pairs. Each pair should have a set of safety equipment and be spaced apart from the other pairs. This way an avalanche might hit only a portion of the group, leaving those missed able to attempt a rescue. If skiers are caught in an avalanche, there are things they can do to improve their chances of survival. They can let go of the bindings to free their feet. They can rid themselves of large packs or bags. As if in water, they should try to swim upward to reach the surface and look for opportunities to grab something solid like a tree or rock. Finally, they should keep their mouths shut so they do not fill with snow. They should form an air pocket in front of their faces with their arms as the avalanche starts to settle. Once stopped, skiers should try to crawl upward, but relax and conserve energy if the struggle to gain the surface fails. (Sources: The Basic Essentials of Avalanche Safety, Tilton, 1992; Backcountry Avalanche Awareness, Jamieson, 2000) After all these precautions are taken, there is one last thing to remember. The only absolute rule in avalanche forecasting is... there are no absolute rules (Rob Newcomb, from The Basic Essentials of Avalanche Safety). Questions 1. Outline the methods used to determine the stability of snow on a slope. CBC News in Review April 2003 Page 39

9 2. Which of the methods do you feel is the best? Why? 3. Why is a slab avalanche a more dangerous variety of avalanche? 4. What are the precautions one can take to prepare for a ski trip through avalanche country? 5. What can one do to improve the chances of survival if caught in an avalanche? 6. Describe any dangerous experience you have had while skiing. Did it change your attitude to the sport? Explain. CBC News in Review April 2003 Page 40

10 THE YEAR OF THE DEADLY AVALANCHE Risk and Reward A segment of the population finds it necessary to push the limits of excitement and routinely place themselves in dangerous, even deadly, situations just for the fun of it. Is the rush worth the risk? Should society support those who try and fail these personal challenges? Let me tell you, a considerable (risk) means the potential for really big fun exists. It s damn the torpedoes and fullspeed ahead. The closer you can get to the conditions of a powder avalanche, the closer you are to ecstasy and the idea is to stay just on the safe side of that catastrophic event (Mike D Amour, Calgary Sun, January 21, 2003). It is this attitude that causes the greatest concern. It is this attitude that drives people to the extreme, to send them beyond safe limits and increase their love of life while placing it in the gravest danger. Too many with this attitude do not survive their excitement. They fall victim to their need to go one step further, too often one step too far. Thrill-seekers push the envelope looking for that perfect snow. They hire helicopters to drop them off in the middle of the backcountry on slopes untested and potentially dangerous. To them the thrill is being the first to carve their skis through the pristine snow, caring little for the risk of avalanche, confident that they can survive anything. Al Matheson, operator of Sunshine Village s Res-Q-Tech, sums up this careless attitude. The problem with a lot of kids is that they aren t scared. They think they can ski or board faster than the slide, but avalanches can run at 200 miles per hour, so they have no chance! (Calgary Sun, Ron Manz, December 28, 1999). Where does this sense of invincibility come from? One source is the companies that manufacture the extreme sports equipment. Their advertising continuously shows skiers or boarders flying through the air, landing flawlessly between stout trees or outcroppings of rock. There is never an accident, and the thought is that the equipment is so good that anybody can gain the necessary level of control to emulate their video heroes. Every human being with two legs, two arms, is going to wonder how fast, how strong, how enduring he or she is, says Eric Perlman, a mountaineer and filmmaker specializing in extreme sports. We are designed to experiment or die (Time, K.T. Greenfeld et al, August 6, 1999). The trend toward the extreme has one troubling side effect. Ski resorts are spending considerable resources to patrol out-of-bounds areas because of the public s propensity to find that perfect run. What these people don t seem to realize is the areas are out of bounds for a reason. We can t forbid you (to) ski in uncontrolled areas, but we don t encourage it at all, said Jimmy Spencer, president of Canada West Ski Areas Association. Besides the hazards, you could simply fall and hurt yourself or lose a ski, and sit helpless for a very long time. Even if you re prepared, you ve taken courses, packed properly, and dressed properly, it doesn t make you bomb-proof (Toronto Star, F. Katz, February 24, 1999). There are no rules in Canada concerning out-of-bounds activities. In the United States there are sign-up sheets at some resorts; in others fines or even jail terms are possible. In Canada, if a search and rescue attempt is made, there is no cost to the victim. In the United States significant charges may apply. Where does the education system fit into this situation? Should schools CBC News in Review April 2003 Page 41

11 provide safety training, emphasizing the preventative measures necessary to avoid injury? Some feel that schools should also consider developing risk assessment tools to assist them in deciding the relative value of trips to support curriculum. Strathcona- Tweedsmuir School, still feeling the pain of their loss, has now to rethink its field-trip policies. Education and a refusal to place students in dangerous situations could still build character as well as save precious young lives. To Consider 1. In your view, should Canada institute rules with fines to keep people out of uncontrolled areas? Explain. 2. Should Canada establish a fee schedule for any search and rescue mission, particularly in uncontrolled or out-of-bounds areas? Explain. 3. To what extent should sports equipment manufacturers be accountable for their advertising? 4. How should schools address student interest in extreme sports? Extension Activity Create a set of three to five policy statements that a school should follow when planning an out-of-town field trip. Be prepared to discuss these statements with your peers. How do they compare with existing policy statements in your school? CBC News in Review April 2003 Page 42

12 THE YEAR OF THE DEADLY AVALANCHE The Michel Trudeau Story Further Research To learn more about the Canadian Avalanche Foundation visit foundation.ca. November 13, 1998, was the fateful day Michel Trudeau, youngest son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, was swept into Kokanee Lake by an avalanche and drowned. It was early in the snow season and the Canadian Avalanche Centre hadn t even issued its first avalanche report of the year. It was a series of seemingly unrelated coincidences that led young Trudeau to his tragic and early death. Michel Trudeau, an avid hiker and experienced skier, spent Remembrance Day hiking through the mountains toward the Slocan Chief, a popular chalet in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. Two days later, despite a nasty turn in the weather, Trudeau and three friends decided to make their way back home through the high winds and heavy snow. It was a tough passage, with snow drifting up to 60 cm. By 1:00 p.m. they had reached the halfway point of their 10 km journey. On a slope overlooking Kokanee Lake the unthinkable happened. There was a crack, and a shelf of heavy snow shot down the slope. Trudeau and his friends were caught up in the flow, pushed down toward the lake. Trudeau and Andrew Bendarz were thrown into the water. It was still too early in the season for it to have frozen over. Ironically, had the water been frozen both Trudeau and Bendarz would have easily survived. The snow pack was still small enough to be survivable. When they hit the water Trudeau was flung far out from shore. Bendarz struggled to shore, but Trudeau could not get out of his heavy pack and clothing. Within minutes, the near freezing water overwhelmed him and he was dragged down to the depths of the lake. His friends watched helplessly, unable to get to him in time. Attempts were made to recover the body, but the 91-metre-deep lake refused to yield its newest casualty. After the funeral Trudeau s brothers took up the cause of avalanche awareness. Sacha and his mother Margaret championed the cause, raising funds to support the work of the Canadian Avalanche Association, which runs the Canadian Avalanche Centre. Justin, Michel s oldest brother, became a director of a new organization, the Canadian Avalanche Foundation, which raises funds to create more awareness of avalanche safety. In that capacity he took on the British Columbia government as they sought to eliminate their annual contribution to the foundation. Without those funds, the warning system would not be able to operate. Because of the public nature of the Trudeau family, this tragedy served to increase the profile of the Canadian Avalanche Association and the work they do to prevent tragic incidents. To Do Write a letter to your provincial and or federal representative outlining your views on the need for support of the Canadian Avalanche Association. Whether you oppose or support the organization, use clear arguments and specific details in the presentation of your position. CBC News in Review April 2003 Page 43

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