Snowboarder rescued unhurt after 20 minute burial?

[Norman_Clyde]

The NW avalanche center has posted a report that this past weekend a snowboarder in the Mt. Hood area (I think) triggered an avalanche that carried him into a creek bed, where he was buried 4 feet deep for 20 minutes. Then it says that his buddies were able to perform a beacon-assisted rescue, and that he was dug out unharmed after a 20 minute burial. This outcome is so unusual that I don't want to wait until next year's ANAM to read about it (if it even makes it in as a backcountry skiing incident). Anybody have the whole story?

[iain]

if the guy's got it together he's already changed his name and killed off all his contacts

[glen]

Remeber that Bruce Willis flick 'Unbreakable' ? Where's Mr. Glass?

 

If the story is true, I'm certainly glad that that was the outcome. There has been enough tragedy in the mountains this season already.

[cman]

Here is the story from avalanche.org http://www.avalanche.org/av-reports/proc-show.php3?OID=10898773 . apparently he fell into a riverbed/hole.

[freeclimb9]

Dude took a spin in the tumble dry. Whoa!

[cracked]

Some dude in scotland was buried for 23 hours in the 70s and came out unharmed. It's the record. So this snowboarder dude incident could have happened.

[chelle]

I thought that woman who was buried in the avalanche at Alpine Meadows in the early 80's was under for days. Although she was in a building and in a little hole created by some toppled lockers, so maybe that's different.

[Retrosaurus]

Norman_Clyde said:

...buried 4 feet deep for 20 minutes. Then it says that his buddies were able to perform a beacon-assisted rescue, and that he was dug out unharmed after a 20 minute burial. This outcome is so unusual ...

The only reason he was "unharmed" is because snowboarders, having no braincells, suffer no adverse effects from hypoxia.