#colorado #breckenridge #coloradorealestate
This story by Charles Pitman was first published in the Summit Daily News.
On numerous occasions I have written that Summit County Rescue Group would like any witnessed avalanche to be reported, even if there were no injuries. But it may not be evident just why we want those reports called in.
Avalanche notifications are one of the few to Summit County Rescue Group that result in immediate action (another being a swift water call). If a slide is reported to dispatch with no amplifying information as to whether anyone was either buried or injured (that is, the reporting party simply does not know), the on-call mission coordinator has to assume the worst and numerous agencies will be notified. Urgency is of utmost importance since survival from a burial is very time critical. Although survivals of someone fully buried are rare, all avalanches are treated as though any burial can be a potential life saved.
One of the first notifications will be for a Flight for Life helicopter overflight to assess for tracks in and out of the slide, whether any personal items are seen on the avalanche debris field (e.g., skis, clothing) or to look for someone frantically searching, digging or waving.
