Looks like there was a death at Hachimantai (Iwate) today due to an avalanche at the resort - just on the news. Anyone any more info?

yes, it's unfortunate.i just saw it on the 24-hour cable news channel "newsbird". apparently a 24-year old (japanese) at the Iwate resort in Matsuo-mura died 3.5 hours after the avalanche/ or 3.5 hours after being found....couldn't get the japanese. his friend survived, but it is tragic that there are fatalities like these,

seems like more than usual this early in the season???. the news report didn't mention if the pair had been out with the proper BC equipment or not.

casualties in the BC affect our sport and they touch me personally. let me say, i'm not 5ing 2 name any usernames, but let me just say if people on this forum (one in particular) don't wanna hear a bunch of compasionate people saying sympathetic words about someone they've never met, then DON'T READ THESE FORUMS! i think everyone knows what i'm saying. 'nuff said

ski and board safely!!!

If you can read Japanese, Yahoo has pretty up-to-date listing on mtn.incidents here:
http://dailynews.yahoo.co.jp/fc/domestic/mountain_accidents/

Here's the synyopsis, original is below.

Avie at Matsuo village near Iwate prefecture Jan 23 9:40. 3-member party snowmobiled and walked into a closed access road for a video shoot. Weather was clear/sunny. 2-pro boarders, 1 staff assistant. Before the cameraman would arrive later, the assistant was scouting locations for a shoot. He was walking alone on the slope when it slid, location was several hundred meters west of the Hachimantai resort. Local patrol dug him out and brought him to the local hospital, afterwards died 3 hours later of suffocation. According to the resort the local slopes had gotten tons of new snow Jan 19-20.

＜雪崩＞八幡平スキー場近くで男性死亡　岩手

　２３日午前９時４０分ごろ、岩手県松尾村八幡 179;恵比須沢で、仲間２人とスノーボードのビデオ撮 影に来ていた横浜市南区中里４、フリーター、吉% 326;智昭さん（２４）が雪崩に巻き込まれた。通報で 駆けつけた地元のパトロール隊員に救助されて病& 498;に運ばれたが、約３時間半後に死亡した。死因は 窒息死だった。３人は商業用ビデオを撮影するた 417;に入山していたという。
　岩手署によると、現場は八幡平スキー場から数 334;メートル西の地点で滑走禁止区域。３人は冬季通 行禁止になっている道路「八幡平アスピーテライ 531;」の入り口付近に乗ってきた車を置き、スノーモ ービルと徒歩で入山した。３人は現場で合流する 104;定のカメラマンが到着するまで、撮影場所を探す などしていたが、吉野さんが一人で斜面を歩いて 356;たところ、雪崩が発生したらしい。
　仲間１人はプロのスノーボーダーで、吉野さん 425;３人は松尾村に隣接する同県西根町にアパートを 借り、撮影や練習で八幡平スキー場周辺で滑って 356;たという。
　松尾村では１９～２０日に大雪が降り、同スキ 540;場によるとゲレンデは１～２メートルの積雪があ った。事故当時は晴れていた。【苅田伸宏、安田 809;高】

this might sound like a silly question, but i honestly would like to know the answer... how do you die of suffocation 3 hours after being rescued? does that mean he was alive when they rescued him, but becuase of injuries sustained, he still died of suffocation?

a bit of a shock to hear the news, and more than a little worried it was a friend until we read the later post above. captain stag and captain A dug some snow tests on the weekend at geto and found a very weak layer 60cm deep...

Hakuba is still avi central now too. Everywhere you look you can see one. I put my hands in the pack this week and found wonky layers just with my hands.

Sad indeed.
What 'video shoot' they out there shooting for anyway? anyone know?

I think the doctors attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation for a few hours in the hospital.

Next time, just say CPR, you will save me a few brain cells from thinking so hard

Thank you, Yamakashi. CPR, it's much easier for me to remember.

pics and longer, more detailed article (J) here:
http://www.iwate-np.co.jp/news/y2005/m01/d24/NippoNews_8.html

Very sad when things like this happen. I know 2 people who have been up in that exact same spot over the last two weeks...both got lost in there on different days but made it out ok. After reading about this, I don't think they know how lucky they were ...

here's a follow-up to the Hachimantai avie.

Basically article says people are going after the powder, ropes and warning annoucements aren't stopping anyone. Among those just ducking ropes, the resort is also seeing more people with the proper BC gear on organized tours, so they say it's difficult to control and apply blanket rules for everyone.

(in the last part of the article, their head patroller says sound can also cause avies... left me scratching my head about that one)


http://www.iwate-np.co.jp/news/y2005/m01/d25/NippoNews_7.html

後絶たぬコース外滑走　雪崩事故

松尾村の八幡平・恵比須沢で２３日発生した雪崩 391;１人が犠牲になった事故で、スノーボーダーらに よるスキー場ゲレンデ外での滑走の危険性があら 383;めて指摘されている。山岳救助関係者は、ゲレン デの外は天候や地形によって常に雪崩発生の可能 615;があると強調するが、新雪の感触を求めて斜面に 繰り出すボーダーは後を絶たず、抜本的な対策は& 627;しい状況だ。

北上市の夏油高原スキー場は１昨年、禁止区域を 473;ノーボードで滑っていた男性が崩れた雪に押し流 され立ち木に衝突、重傷を負った。以来、コース 806;に出ないよう１日に何度も放送したり、監視を強 化している。

須藤利貞社長は「何度呼び掛けても禁止区域に出 427;人はなくならない。ロープを張る方法を考えたが 、今度はロープにぶつかる事故が心配される」と& 957;を痛める。

今回の雪崩発生現場に近い八幡平スキー場もゲレ 531;デ外滑走禁止の看板を設置している。工藤幹夫常 務は「樹氷ツアーなどそれなりの装備と心構えで 837;山する人もいる。滑る人の判断にかかる部分が大 きく、全部を規制するのは不可能だ」と対策の難 375;さを吐露する。

スノーボード愛好者によると、ゲレンデ外で滑走 377;るのはスリルを味わうとともに、圧雪していない 場所での独特の浮遊感が魅力という。

今回の雪崩発生場所は危険区域として知られてい 383;。圧雪の上に積もった不安定な新雪が滑り落ちた 厳冬期に多い表層雪崩とみられる。八幡平スキー 580;パトロール本部の松草忠一隊長は「現場に入った 際の振動や音が雪崩を引き起こした可能性も考え 425;れる」と語る。

八幡平遭難対策委員会山岳救助隊の高橋時夫隊長 399;「八幡平は平たん部分が多いといわれるが、地形 や天候によって雪崩が起こりうることを念頭に置 367;べきだ。固定観念を持たず、雪質や気象条件を考 慮して入山してほしい」と求める。

I dont remember reading anything about sound in the books but I remember in old movies the sound of a gunshot or similar starthing avalanches that took out thier wagon caravan.

update: the book "staying alive in avalanche terrain" says that it is a myth, according to my workmate.

Don’t scratch your head Montoya, sound can cause avies. Of course not a whisper but if you call out loud a persons name, then the echo can cause an avie. The sound bouncing back and forth on the valley walls can potentially release some unsteady layers.