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Show free themselves, only to die of shock, injury or exposure. There is one case on record of a dead victim being found in a tree after extended search of the avalanche debris. Force of the slide had hurtled his body there. In the case of large and violent avalanches, search of the surrounding terrain is advisable. 2.3 Coarse and Fine Probing The popularity of probing for an avalanche victim stems from this method's simplicity. In the technical scheme of search methods, the victim can be located by probe poles because his mechanical permeability differs from that of snow. ( This difference may be small in hard, dense snow; more than one dead avalanche victim has been recovered with his body pierced by probe poles.) Probing offers the advantage of requiring very simple equipment that can be operated by volunteers without previous training. While the probers do not need previous training ( although some practice helps), the search leader must be familiar with the technique to insure proper execution of search by probe line. The following general guidelines for probing are suggested: 1. Rigid steel tubing, 3/ 8 to 1/ 2 inch in diameter, is recommended for probe poles ( see Appendix i). Lengths of 10 to 13 feet are most convenient. Longer poles are difficult to manage, especially in a high wind. Standardizing the length of poles at a given rescue is an advantage. When the probe poles are of equal length, it is obvious when one probe in a line is stopped short by an obstacle. 2. Among those who have actually located a victim by probing there is a consensus that striking a body gives a distinct feel to the probe. This feel is easily recognizable in soft snow; it is less so in hard, dense snow. Some difficulty may be encountered when probing avalanche debris which lies over spongy vegetation or muddy topsoil. Here the feel of the terrain may seem similar to that of the human body. A more common problem is encountering debris within the avalanche snow which can be mistaken for the victim. The only sure check is digging. 3. Precautions should be taken to prevent icing of the probes when large temperature variations are present. Probe poles should be kept moving in and out of the snow. Gloves which insulate probe from the prober's hands will help keep body heat where it belongs. There is some advantage in waxing the probes, although wax will be worn off by prolonged use. Probes should not be left fully inserted in the snow for long periods. They invariably will freeze in and be hard to extract. ( Caution during rest breaks.) 36 |