Assuming you managed to save yourself on your own, and there is no one nearby, how can you make sure you get home alive? Your best shot is to get help!

This is the last and most important issue of surviving an avalanche. If you are sure that there are rescuers nearby, then try to get to them.

Alternatively, if you know there are help facilities nearby or a settlement, then go there. Staying where you are and waiting for help can be a risk because the rescue team may take a lot of time before getting to you. This delay can reduce your chances of survival even if you’ve come out from under the snow successfully.

However, before you go in search of help consider the following:

• Where’s the exact location of you avalanche accident? * Is there an easy access to get help like a road, helicopter, or trail? * What time did the avalanche hit you?
• How long will it take before you get yourself to help? * What’s the weather condition now? * Can you survive until you get help? * What can you do to make sure you get help before it’s late? * If there are others, how many victims are there? * Are there any rescuers on site? To wrap things up, it is important to reiterate that the best way to survive an avalanche is by avoiding one in the first place. When you go skiing, always make sure the area is safe, the weather is not a threat, and the snow is firm enough.

Make a mental check of what you may have to do if you find yourself stuck in an avalanche. This helps prepare and act immediately to get you out of harm’s way. If, there are rescuers and other people at the site and at risk of the avalanche, try to educate them too. At times like these, you have to lookout for each other.