I have been watching this thread and the news closely on this event. There is one important fact that I have heard over and over in avalanche training and has not been talked about in the media and I wish it would be:
Most avalanche survivors are rescued by the people that are with them! By the time help arrives it is usually already too late.
Anyone with avalanche training knows this and can guess how most people were rescued from the immediate threat of the avalanche and that it was back country sledders that did it. To put it more plainly, while I was not there and I can't speak for what actually went on, it's important to realize that most of the 30-50 or so people that were buried in the avalanche were rescued alive likely only by the other snowmobilers that were attending the event or very near the same area.
Arguments "like should or should not have been there" aside: This speaks allot to the general preparedness of the snowmobilers that were present on site. And I think that should be talked about more than it is.
The CAC member that was telephone interviewed by CTV had said "it's important to remember 1000's of people snowmobile in the area every weekend and do so safely" when the interviewer was asking him about the risks of snowmobiling and whether anyone should have even been there.
Yes this is an inherently dangerous activity, but for the most part it is done safely, the risk is managed and a lot of people are prepared for the dangers and equipped and able to respond, as they probably were and did in this situation. It was the people that were already there that did most of the initial life saving.
on a final note:
RIP those that did not make it. And lots of support to the friends and family of everyone associated with this and especially to those that were on scene.
