Thursday was a busy day on Vail Pass as crews from nearly a dozen different emergency response agencies gathered to practice joint search and rescue drills in a display of cooperative rescue tactics, as well as education for the public.
“Part of this is an awareness campaign, part of it is also an opportunity to work together,” Eagle County Sheriff James van Beek said Thursday from the popular backcountry area. “Accidents don’t recognize county lines. … We have to work with our partners and these are the ones with matching skill sets, so it’s a good opportunity to get to know each other.”
Photo by Sawyer D Argonne / sdargonne@summitdaily.com
Search and rescue teams from across the state gathered near Black Lake at Vail Pass on Thursday morning to take part in a mock-avalanche rescue, hoping to educate community members about how their operations work and the dangers of venturing into the backcountry unprepared.
Representatives from about a dozen organizations statewide including Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons and members of the Summit County Rescue Group were present to participate in the exercise and speak to members of the media to inform the public about the harsh consequences of avalanches as well as to show the importance of rescue teams and the agencies supporting them in keeping their communities safe.
If you’ve spent $500 on the fanciest avalanche transceiver in existence but you don’t know how to use it, it’s not going to do you much good. In the event of a slide, that little beeping box is your lifeline the only form of communication between you and your potential rescuers when you’re separated by layers of snow. Also known as a beacon, a transceiver is just one part of a complete avalanche safety kit, which should also include, at the minimum, a probe and shovel.
Another essential component of avalanche safety is education, which we will discuss in more detail below. A course taught by a qualified instructor is the best preparation for trips into the backcountry’s variable snow conditions. This article is a basic primer on beacon use. It is not intended to replace formal avalanche training.
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Maurice Kervin feels at home in Colorado's backcountry but he's also keenly aware of the dangers. He's spent 65 days snowboarding so far this season but Friday is a day he won't forget anytime soon.