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Wednesday, June 24, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
AVALANCHE:
Preparedness is
key to survival
Continued from page 1
in sight, Rudinsky felt the
ground beneath her feet giv-
ing way; without warning
she was suddenly being car-
ried down the mountain in an
avalanche.
Rudinsky was approxi-
mately 10-15 feet above
Lowman when the avalanche
was triggered. Suddenly she
was caught up in the rush of
dry and light snow four feet
deep. An immediate attempt
to anchor herself with her ice
pick failed and she was sud-
denly <sucked under= and
tumbling down the hourglass
feature of the slope. Lowman
reached out to try and grab
her as she was carried by, but
she was just out of reach.
This was a moment of
overwhelming despair, yet
Lowman knew he needed to
stay focused on where Dani
would end up so that he could
dig her out. Seconds later a
second avalanche was trig-
gered. Lowman9s position
by a rime ice ledge offered
some protection but he was
still carried downhill until
he could self-arrest and free
himself. Amazingly, he was
able to turn on his beacon
while still sliding, something
he knew would be critical to
their rescue.
Rudinsky was still being
carried downhill when she
felt herself suddenly somer-
saulting in the air after being
launched off a rock band.
After a hard landing back
on the ice, she immediately
realized she had sustained a
debilitating injury. Despite
the velocity of the slide, she
had been able to use her arms
to form a barrier around her
head, creating an air pocket
that would remain when she
finally stopped at the bottom
4something that she knew
could keep her alive while
being dug out.
In the first moments after
the avalanche concluded,
Lowman searched for any
sign of where Rudinsky could
be buried, hoping he would
see a glove or something else
penetrating the surface. He
soon spotted something 500
feet below that looked like
a rocky formation 4 but he
quickly realized it was actu-
ally his partner. And then he
heard her voice calling.
Adrenaline and focus
helped him safely scramble
down the debris path to where
she was, and after catching
his breath, utilized his EMT
training to begin assessing
her condition. Thanks in part
to a shallow snow depth, as
the avalanche spread out, the
extreme event had a very dif-
ferent ending than it might
have had4 a fact that both
Rudinsky and Lowman are
mindfully aware of.
At noon the call for help
was made and initial respond-
ers were there within an hour.
Extensive training and
preparation all played a
part in both Rudinsky and
Lowman knowing what to do
while trying to survive what
they hoped would never hap-
pen. They made the decision
that day not to rope up to one
another after assessing con-
ditions and it was a decision
that turned out to be poten-
tially lifesaving. Had they
been roped, both Rudinsky
and Lowman would have
been pulled under together
and the outcome could have
been very different. They
also took their avalanche
gear despite seasonal timing
making it seem unnecessary.
Their Garmin, cell phones
and battery charges were all
critical equipment as well
and helped them call for help
as well as communicate an
accurate location to the res-
cue teams.
Both Rudinsky and
Lowman had previously
spent time on mountain res-
cue teams so their respect
and gratitude for all who
provided aide came on mul-
tiple levels. After coming
directly off of another criti-
cal mountain rescue, teams
had no chance to recuper-
ate before responding to this
second call for help. There
were five teams involved and
first on scene was Portland
Mountain Rescue, fol-
lowed by American Medical
Response (AMR), Timberline
Ski Patrol (to ski Rudinsky
down), Crag Rats (helping
with the anchors to haul her
up), and the Deputy assigned
to that area.
Despite fatigue, team
members offered expert care
and communicated that this
could have happened to any-
one. Reassurance from those
with a high level of technical
expertise and experience on
the mountain brought great
comfort.
After an assessment from
AMR, It was determined that
Rudinsky could be safely
taken down the mountain
without their advanced medi-
cal involvement, however
they stayed on scene in sup-
port. Preparations were made
for stability in the descent,
and 10 hours after the ava-
lanche began, Rudinsky and
Lowman were safely back to
their vehicle.
Fortunately, Rudinsky9s
ankle injury allowed them to
drive back to Central Oregon
on their own to seek medical
intervention.
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PHOTO BY SHELBY LOWMAN
Danielle Rudinsky, moments before the slope gave way.
After time recovering
both physically and emo-
tional from their ordeal,
both Rudinsky and Lowman
are mindful of several take-
aways. They both have an
even greater understanding
of how important the choice
of an experienced climbing
partner is and are grateful to
have had each other in those
critical moments.
Thorough preparation is
essential. Lowman shares
this advice: <Prep for what-
ever objective you9re going
through, and if you think
you9ve prepped enough,
go over it and do it again.
Overprepare for any climb
you are going on.=
Rudinsky9s broadened
awareness is similar and
speaks to many aspects of
life: <Research, research,
research, research... small
and big.=
As Rudinsky considers
the life she now lives, she
brings it back to her time in
IEE and the impact teacher
Rand Runco and other com-
munity supporters had in her
life. From an early age, she
was given the opportunity
to explore, learn about and
survive in natural spaces.
Then, through Runco9s focus
on community involvement,
outdoor experiential learn-
ing objectives and building
a solid, successful and expe-
rienced volunteer base, she
was able to identify opportu-
nities that may not have been
realized otherwise.
IEE became a catalyst
built upon community val-
ues, integrity and possibilities
that empowered her to reach
for her dreams and build a
life of passion and purpose.
Reflecting on the value of
IEE, she said, <Some things
we need to protect and keep
alive.=