Avalanche Dog finds in the U.S.
Search teams work a fatal avalanche accident in
Alaska.
Photographer: Jeffrey O. Wells
This is an incomplete collection of finds by trained avalanche
search dogs working at the request of official agencies in the
U.S. As indicated by the number of "deceased" finds, by the time
search teams are called to rescue someone buried in an avalanche,
time has usually run out for the victim.
Data from a Swiss study on avalanche mortality published in 1992
indicates that approximately 90 percent of persons buried in
avalanches survive if recovered in the first 15 minutes. For
backcountry travellers this means having party members that not
only have the proper equipment (shovels, probes and avalanche
transceivers) but also the knowledge to quickly and effectively
use these tools to perform a rescue. Chances for a live recovery
at the 35 minute mark fall to 30 percent and after two hours the
survival rate is three percent.
I'd like to expand the information here to
include data from avalanche accidents in Canada. If
handlers/teams have current or historical information about
recoveries in Canada effected by avalanche dogs, please contact me.
CANINE AVALANCHE FINDS IN THE U.S
| Year |
Location |
Status(number) |
Depth |
Burial duration |
| 2006 |
Rainy Pass, AK |
deceased (1) 30 |
2.3 m |
10 days |
| 2003 |
Avalanche Bowl, Teton Pass WY |
deceased (1) 29 |
1 m + |
at least 24 hrs |
| 2002 |
Jackson Peak, WY |
deceased (1) 28 |
unknown |
unknown |
| 2002 |
near Victor, ID |
deceased (1) 27 |
< 1 m |
unknown |
| 2002 |
Mt. Rose, NV |
deceased (1) 26 |
0.5 m |
3-3.5 hours |
| 2002 |
Mt. Abundance, MT |
deceased (2) 25 |
~ 1 m |
5 hours |
| 2002 |
Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT |
deceased (2) 24 |
|
| 2001 |
Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT |
deceased (2) 23 |
2-3 m |
< 24 hours |
| 2001 |
Eureka Lodge, AK |
deceased (2) 20 |
3 m |
2 hours and 24 hours |
| 2001 |
near The Canyons, UT |
deceased (1) 22 |
3.2 m |
3 hours 12 minutes |
| 2000 |
Snowbasin, UT |
deceased (1) 21 |
1-1.8 m |
approx 40 hrs |
| 2000 |
near Redoubt Volcano, AK |
deceased (1) 19 |
0.6 m |
48 hours |
| 2000 |
Araphoe Basin, CO |
deceased (1) 18 |
0.2m |
< 24 hours |
| 2000 |
Summit Lake, AK |
deceased (1) 17 |
1.5m |
19 hours |
| 2000 |
Crystal Mountain, WA |
deceased (1) 16 |
1 m |
2 hrs |
| 1999 |
Diamond Peak, CO |
deceased (1) |
minimal |
24 hrs |
| 1999 |
Little Willow, UT |
deceased (1) 13 |
0.6m |
2 hours |
| 1998 |
Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT |
deceased (1) 12 |
0.6m |
1 hour |
| 1998 |
Donner Summit, CA |
deceased (1) 14 |
1 m |
1 hour |
| 1998 |
Cantwell, AK |
deceased (1) 5 |
2.1m |
~20 hrs |
| 1997 |
Girdwood, AK |
deceased (1) 4 |
.6m |
23 hrs |
| 1997 |
Kenai Mountains, AK |
deceased (1) |
1.2m |
24 hrs |
| 1997 |
Beavers, CO |
deceased (1) |
1.1m |
1 hour |
| 1997 |
Cottonwood Creek, CO |
deceased (1) |
1.4m |
24 hrs |
| 1996 |
Galena Summit, ID |
deceased (2) 3 |
~.6m |
1.25 hrs |
| 1996 |
WY |
deceased (1) |
1.5m |
2-3 hrs |
| 1995 |
Crystal Lakes, CO |
dead (1) |
1.1m |
24 hours |
| 1994 |
Summit City, CO |
alive (1) |
1.1m |
14 minutes |
| 1994 |
Peters Ridge, MT |
deceased (1) |
3.7m |
~24 hrs |
| 1994 |
Lulu Pass, MT |
deceased (1) |
.5m |
24 hrs |
| 1993 |
Kirkwood, CA |
alive (1) 6 |
1.6m |
15 minutes |
| 1993 |
WY |
alive (1) |
2.1m |
1-2 hours |
| 1993 |
Vail, CO |
deceased (1) |
1.9m |
20 hours |
| 1993 |
West Yellowstone, MT |
deceased (1) |
1.3m |
3 hrs |
| 1992 |
Montezuma, CO |
deceased (1) |
2.9m |
19 hours |
| 1990 |
West Yellowstone, MT |
deceased (1) |
.5m |
~6 hrs |
| 1990 |
Alta, UT |
deceased (1) 11 |
0.6m |
2 days |
| 1988 |
Plummer Peak, WA |
deceased (1) |
2m |
~30 hrs |
| 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) 10 |
0.7m |
1 hour |
| 1986 |
Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT |
deceased (1) 9 |
1.7m |
45 minutes |
| 1982 |
Alpine Meadows, CA |
alive (1) |
4m? |
~48 hrs? 2 |
| 1981 |
Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT |
deceased (1) 8 |
1.7m |
2 hours |
| 1980 |
Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT |
deceased (1) 7 |
2.1m |
7 hours |
| 1978 |
Taylor Creek, AK |
deceased (4) |
1m |
6 mos 1 |
| 1976 |
Sheep Mtn, AK |
deceased (1) |
1.4m |
3 days |
| 1969 |
Mt. Rainier, WA |
deceased (1) 15 |
1.4m |
48 hours |
Also, check reports
of recent slides at the Cyberspace Snow and Avalanche Center.
There may be more detailed information about the above incidents
there.
Thanks to those that have provided information to create this
list:
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
Janet Wilts
Revisions, additions or corrections to this information should
be sent to dan*@*comdens.com (take the *'s out for a valid
address)
Note 1: "Taylor Creek AK,
slide 1/21/78, search 7/28/78 4 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."
Note 2: Information
regarding the Alpine Meadows find is from my (Comden's) memory
and most likely not completely accurate.
Note 3: "January 5, 1996
avalanche at Galena Summit, Blaine County, Idaho (20mi.Nof Sun
Valley) 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 at 16:18
dog makes second find. The two victims were 4' apart buried about
2' deep. They both died, one pronounced dead at Sun Valley
hospital at 17:49 hrs of asphyxiation, the second was
life-flighted to Boise and pronounced dead at 20:47 of
hypothermia."
Note 4: 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 stabalization was done (12 charges) on
Monday, November 24. Within 4 minutes the first search dog
alerted on the subject.
Note 5: "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."
Note 6: Burial and recovery
at Kirkwood ski area. Information taken from Modesto Bee
article at http://www.modbee.com/sports/story/0,1153,64424,00.html
Note 7: Activity was
x-country skiing. Refer to Snowy Torrents 80-2.
Note 8: Activity was
x-country skiing. Refer to Snowy Torrents 81-3.
Note 9: Activity was
snowboarding. Refer to Snowy Torrents 86-9.
Note 10: Activity was
x-country skiing.
Note 11: 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. Not an avalanche find
but same Dog Team skills, although the alert was initially
apprehensive.
Note 12: Activity was
snowboarding.
Note 13: Activity was
Snowshoeing.
Note 14: Activity was
snowboarding. More info at http://www.csac.org/Incidents/1997-98/Calif-021198.html
Note 15: 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. His head was about 2 feet down and his feet about 5 feet
down. He was located by a dog from the "German Shepherd Search
and Rescue Dog Association", according to Snowy Torrents.
Note 16: Activity was
skiing in closed area. More info at http://www.csac.org/Incidents/1999-00/20000116-Wash.html
Note 17: Activity was high
marking with a snowmobile. More info at
www.avalanche.org
Note 18: Activity was
backcountry snow boarding. More info at
www.avalanche.org
Note 19: Search was for
victims of December 20, 2000 air crash. Subject was buried under
2 feet of snow. While this was not specifically an avalanche
recovery, it demonstrates the effectiveness of using trained dogs
to located buried people.
Note 20: Activity was
snowmachine riding. More info at www.csac.org
and
www.avalanche.org
Note 21: Search was for
single victim of plane crash within ski area boundary. More
information at
www.avalanche.org.
Note 22: Activity was
backcountry skiing. More info at
www.avalanche.org
Note 23: Activity was
climbing. More info at
www.avalanche.org
Note 24: Activity was
snowboarding. More info at www.avalanche.org
Note 25: Activity was
snowmobile riding/highmarking. More info at www.avalanche.org
Note 26: Activity was
snowboarding in closed backcountry area. More info at
www.avalanche.org
Note 27: Solo snowmobile
rider. More info at avalanche.org
Note 28: Backcountry skier.
Details at avalanche.org
are thin.
Note: 29 Activity was
snowboarding in backcountry area. "[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." More info at
avalanche.org
Note: 30 Activity was snow machining.
Subject located adjacent to snow machine
Back to the main avalanche page
Text and photos copyright Dan Comden, 1995-2006
last updated: 06APR2006
Dan Comden
Seattle, WA U.S.A.
Email -- dan*@*comdens.com (remove the asterisks around the "@"
symbol)