I had made a strong turn, unloaded my weight and tipped head first into deep snow near a tree. I immediately addressed the situation and struggled with all my might but was completely helpless. Inverted and unable to move my arms and legs, I thrashed my head to create airspace but got nothing. I either suffocated within 30 seconds or the memory of the final fight had been deleted from my hard drive. There was no pain, fear, panic, or last thought. Just darkness. Carbon dioxide displacement asphyxia can be accelerated by anice mask formation or by lack of an adequate air pocket. An Avalung in my mouth would have bought so much more time.
Craig was the first responder. He called the others to the scene. Both he and Ryan had shovels and began to dig. Alicia and another girl helped with their hands. 2 or 3 minutes passed and they couldn't locate my head in all the deep snow. Craig felt concerned about creating an injury by yanking me out with brute force, but time was up so he put all his strength into pulling my body out.
This is the part that was harder for them than me. I came out of the hole appearing as a frozen corpse; I was blue and not breathing. Ryan immediately began CPR. He had to clear my mouth which was full of snow. 2-3 sets of breathing and compression resuscitation was enough for me to sputter back to life.
Arriving back amongst the living was literally a dream come true. I was in dreamland and it faded into reality, rather than the opposite. Alicia was screaming in my face to wake up. As I came back, her voice went from faint and distantly familiar to confusingly real: very similar to slowly waking up from a deep sleep.
Full consciousness came quickly, I immediately sat up and said, “Thank you for saving my life!” Then I let out a huge burp. I asked what time it was. “2:50,” someone said. I thought, “Better hurry up”. My precious 6-year-old son is waiting by himself to be picked up from ski school. I wouldn't want to not be there for him.
Non Avalanche Related Snow Immersion Death (NARSID) is a very real, frequently overlooked risk of powder skiing. Tree wells specifically are almost impossible get out of alone; you have to be rescued immediately to survive. The correct equipment literally means life or death.
Thank the heavens for my angel rescuers who were alert, prepared, and equipped. How do you repay your friends for saving your life?
- Play with friends. They may save your life.
- Be within visual and audible contact of your ski partner. (do not use an ipod)
- Be a doer. Action saves lives.
- Begin shoveling next to a burial victim, rather than directly above them.
- Take rescue training and CPR.
- Put your financial house in order. A Living Will or Living Trust can be called upon sooner than you expect.
