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Show Patrolman T. A. took the lead, and the party climbed to a point twenty yards above the cornice. T. A. was nearly ten yards ahead of the rest of the party, when the shearing of his skis caused another slab to avalanche. Unable to ski away from the large slab, T. A. was forced to ride out the slide. The avalanche ran from a point on the rim of the Bowl above the catwalk entrance, over a sixty foot cliff, across the catwalk and onto the floor of the Bowl. Though a skier for six years, T. A. had had no previous avalanche experience. Fortunately, he recalled earlier instructions to try to swim when caught in a slide. He noted that when he started to swim, he felt his feet swing below his head, and the rest of his body popped right out of the slide. As the avalanche ran over the cliff, he was buried again, but by " swimming" he was able to regain the surface. When the slide stopped, his skis were buried under a foot of snow, he had lost his poles, but except for his feet, he was safely on the top of the slide. The other two patrolmen and the fourth skier were unable to see the end of the slide, as it was out of sight below the rocks. They quickly came down to the catwalk. From there they could see that T. A. was safe. After sending the other skier back to the main hill to report that no one had been injured, the two patrolmen went on into the slidepath to help their companion. COMMENT Details of this accident are scanty. The ski patrol group apparently were prudent, but one man was still caught in the middle of a slab when it released and carried over a cliff below. Fortunately the patrolman was at the very top of the avalanche. If he had been farther down, his chances for survival would have been much less. This is no place for test skiing. Explosives should always be used for avalanche control in such terrain. It is interesting to note the testimonial to the effectiveness of the " swimming" motion when caught in an avalanche. No. 59- 4 MT. HOOD. OREGON 20 June 1959 ACCIDENT SUMMARY Early Saturday morning, 20 June, 1959, a party of thirty- two Explorer Scouts and sixteen adults set out to make their scheduled climb of the south side of Mt. Hood. Various other climbing parties were on the mountain at the same time. The weather was good, though about noon the snow began to melt, 50 |