BCA has just confirmed another life saved with our Float 30 avalanche airbag. The incident occurred on November 23 at Allen Creek near Valemount, BC, Canada. Snowmobiler Brad Baber got involved in a major slide while highmarking on his 2010 Arctic Cat M8 Sno Pro. Baber said the crown was about four feet high, 100 yards wide, and the slide ran about 1,000 vertical feet. He said he pulled the trigger on his Float 30 and was able to remain “85 percent on the surface,” with his face up and his feet downhill. His sled, meanwhile was buried 13 feet deep. Brad said it took him two days to find it the following weekend, using surface clues (broken parts) and a long probe.
Baber is 6’4″ tall and weighs 264 pounds, so this is quite a testament to the effectiveness and strength of the BCA Float 30.
Float 30 on avalanche dummy
Weighing 264 pounds, Baber said he ended up on the surface in the same position as this dummy (from our recent tests at Breckenridge, Colo.). His sled was buried 13 feet deep!
Like many avalanche rescue success stories, this incident was not reported to authorities. We only heard of it from Baber when he called to order a refill kit. Since then, Arctic Cat has also informed us there’s been “a big run on Floats” at dealers in this area.
We know of three other Float 30 saves this year: in Anaconda, Mont.; Berthoud Pass, Colo.; and Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. There could be others we don’t know about, since many avalanche incidents are not reported if there are no injuries or fatalities.
Brad says a friend might have gotten some helmet cam footage of the incident. If we can get our hands on it, believe me, we’ll post it!
