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The tragedy in the Italian Dolomites touched the world. On July 3, a huge fragment of the glacier broke off in the Marmolada massif. Ice, snow and rocks hit the tourists at over 300 km per hour. At least six people have lost their lives, nine have been injured, and the fate of 16 remains unknown. What happens to people kidnapped by an avalanche, what are their chances of survival and finally, how to save themselves in such a dramatic situation? We explain.
- On July 3, in the Marmolada massif in the Dolomites, a huge fragment of the glacier broke off and collapsed on climbing tourists
- Six people killed, nine injured and 16 missing – this is the latest record of the disaster. Rescuers stress that the death toll will increase
- The identification of the victims of the tragedy in the Dolomites is very difficult due to the condition of the crushed bodies
- According to the TPN guidebook, 15-18 minutes from the fall of the avalanche gives more than 90 percent of buried persons. chances of survival, after approx. 35 minutes, these chances drop to 25 percent.
- What can a person taken by an avalanche do? One of the most important things is to avoid the so-called anchor effect
- More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.
A tragedy in the Italian Dolomites. “We saw dead (people) and huge chunks of ice”
On Sunday, July 3, in the Marmolada massif – the highest in the Dolomites – a huge fragment of the glacier broke off and fell on the climbers. Moving at a speed of 300 km per hour, an avalanche of rock, snow and ice “fell with a roar that could be heard from a long distance,” reported the local portal ildolomiti.it.
“We saw dead (people) and huge pieces of ice, rocks,” said exhausted lifeguard Luigi Felicetti on Italian state television. Six people killed, nine injured and 16 missing – this is the latest record of the disaster. Lifeguards warn that the death toll will increase.
The rest of the article is available under the video.
The search area where the fragment of the glacier, or the serak, collapsed, is huge. The rescue operation is hampered by the risk of its further disintegration due to high temperatures. Experts have no doubts what caused the tragedy: global warming. «It’s like taking an ice cube from the freezer and putting it on the kitchen counter» Explained the glaciologist Renato Colucci from the Italian Research Committee. On RAI, the expert explained that the Marmolada glacier has decreased in volume by 10% in the last 30 years. According to Colucci, if the current rate of melting continues, the glacier will be completely gone in 25-30 years. Let us add that the day before the disaster, on July 2, a record high temperature of 10 degrees C was recorded at the top of Marmolada.
What happens to a man caught in an avalanche?
Identification of the victims of the tragedy in the Dolomites is very difficult due to the condition of the crushed bodies, informs the Italian agency Ansa. In some cases, DNA testing will be needed. In the book «TOPR. In order for others to survive »we have a strong opinion on the injuries of people killed by the avalanche. «There is no way to go wrong. Without going into details, I can only say that the picture is terrible, bodies can be crushed ”. Let us add that “100 cubic meters of snow weighs about 25 tons!” (from avalinoweabc.pl of the Tatra National Park).
The masses of snow covering a person do not allow air to pass through. Hence, the risk of suffocation is even greater if the chest has been crushed.
Finally, hypothermia. As in the book «TOPR. In order for others to survive “, says the TOPR rescuer and the emergency medicine doctor Sylweriusz Kosiński, you can talk about cooling down” after an hour in an avalanche “. The principle that has been in force for many years in rescue is: “no one is dead until he is warm and dead”. Dr. Kosiński explains that it was based on the assumption that it is impossible to determine the death of a person who is deeply cold.
«Hypothermia reduces the metabolism of all vital organs, especially the brain, by a few percent. with each degree of temperature drop. So if, at normal body temperature (…), the brain dies after 5-6 minutes of hypoxia, the time window in hypothermia is one hour or more. And this gives us time and a chance to try to bring a buried person back to life, as long as his brain is cold, not hypoxic ”.
How long can you survive under the snow? Key 18 mins
«The vast majority of those kidnapped by avalanches die because help arrives too late (…)» – we read in the book mentioned above. How long can a person buried by an avalanche survive?
Here is an important quote from the Tatra National Park guide: “The statistics of avalanche accidents show that people caught by an avalanche and completely buried, if they do not suffer fatal injuries during an avalanche fall and if they create a free space around the body, the so-called an airbag, they have over 15 percent within 18-90 minutes. chance of survival. After about 35 minutes, the chances of survival drop to 25 percent. Only then are the first rescuers able to come to the avalanche (…) Hence, only companions of the trip (…) »or people close to the place of the event can provide quick and effective help.
“The statistics clearly show that it takes about 15 minutes to find a buried by well-trained companions on the trip, equipped with detectors, probes and blades” – reads on avalinoweabc.pl.
What to do after an avalanche? Advice for the potential victim and rescuer
The most important steps are clearly presented in the TPN guide. avalancheabc.pl.
What the victim can do:
- FIGHT! Try to get rid of skis, snowboards, poles, backpack (unless you have a buoyancy backpack) which can cause the “anchor effect”
- Try to stay afloat
- Close your mouth when you stop; try to put your hands in front of your face – they will create an air space that will allow you to breathe after the avalanche stops
- As the avalanche stops, fight for space with active movements of your entire body. In the last phase, try to kick your legs and hands hard – if you are shallow, there is a chance to break through to the avalanche surface.
- The most effective method is to have and “fire” a buoyancy backpack, increasing by over 90 percent. our chances of remaining on the avalanche surface!
What an observer can do:
- Remember the place where you last saw the avalanche abductee, as well as the avalanche track
- Notify the rescuers, provide the place of the accident, the number of buried people and meteorological conditions
- Start the rescue operation with the rest of the participants
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