More people are surviving avalanches than decades ago – here’s why

People buried in avalanches are more likely to be rescued quickly and survive the experience today than they were four decades ago, a new study suggests.

Avalanches can kill in several ways. Most people caught in these snow slides die from injuries sustained during the avalanche, from suffocation after being buried under the snow, or hypothermia which sets in while they wait to be rescued. Time is of the essence: most people who survive long enough to tell the tale are rescued within the first few minutes of burial.