 Poster: A snowHead
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On the morning i was due to leave Val D'isere (12/April/08 ) i woke up at 05:00 hours and went out of the Skibeat Chalet at La Daille for (dare i say it) a cigarette. It was cold and snowing at that time .
I heard a noisy shout in the dark from accros the road towards the river.At first i thought it must be revellers returning from a long night out but then realized it was a genuine and desperate cry for help.
Grabbing my hat and gloves i eventually found a young man who had trecked through a 1 metre deep snow field and had twisted his knee and could not walk.He had one of his trainers and socks off.
On my way to find him i shouted to a woman on the balcony of a hotel who had been woken by the noise of my shouting (to him). I asked her to bring help, which she did.
The young man was in his early 20s and in a very bad way with hypothermia.
We got him out of the snowfield and into the foyer of the hotel 'Toviere'' where it was warmer. The French paramedics took over when they arrived and took him to the hospital at Bourg St Maurice.
Their initial assesment of his condition was that it wouldn't have been too long before he would have slipped into a coma and then died if he had remained where he was.
He was an extremely lucky young man to have been heard at that time at all and to have had the assistance of what i will describe as an excellent all round recovery effort by those involved.
I can only assume that he had missed the car park which led to a foot bridge and had blundered into the 1metre deep Snowfield in the dark, twisting his knee and collapsing near the River.
My point is you can find yourself in trouble, hurt or die just as easily in a mountain resort from hypothermia as you can up the mountain so please be aware of this.
Rob
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 16-09-17 7:15; edited 7 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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cc_7up, well done.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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cc_7up, Good point and well done you for providing the help. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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cc_7up, Well done your actions absolve your cigarette sins  To many people would have done nothing I am sure Karma will swing back around your way for this
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Smoking saves lives ?!!! 
Good work cc_7up
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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cc_7up, well done indeed! Thank heavens smoking inside has been banned - probably saved that guy's life
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| Guvnor wrote: |
| Smoking saves lives ?!!! |
Smoking does save lives in a round about kind of way.... I worked in the statistics and Operational research department of the NHS executive about 5 years back and the tax earned off cigarettes way more than covers the cost of treating smoking related diseases and the surplus millions help keep the NHS afloat.
Disclaimers:
It is 5 years since i worked at the NHS Exec and things might have changed since then.
Someone might have done their maths wrong, although i doubt this!
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magic_hat, Can dropped, worms everywhere
(Back soon - off for a smoke)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Guvnor, Aye - regretted posting that almost the minute i hit "submit".
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magic_hat, S'alright - as long as you are prepared to get thrown to the lions as a result of such reckless factual posting 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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cc_7up, Good effort, bet you didn't get back to sleep!.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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cc_7up, you should have told him about  hmmm he wasn't an Everton supporter was he??
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You know it makes sense.
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I think a student from the UK died in similar circumstances earlier this Winter in St Sorlin D'Arves. Another tragedy prevented well done cc_7up,
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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cc_7up, nice one. He was a lucky guy.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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cc_7up,
Nice job I can imagine the haunting cries...
Help, I need somebody,
Help, not just anybody,
Help, you know I need someone, help.
When I was younger, so much younger than today,.......
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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cc_7up, Good for you and the team involved. It is always a good idea to be aware that accidents don't always occur where you might expect them too. It is a good feeling to be a good samaritan and I would encourage everyone not to be frightened to try and help someone.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| cc_7up wrote: |
| he was from (Liverpool) |
Now you've spolied the whole thing.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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thats why you should always go out with a hip flask
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jase2472, Though I note the smiley - I think from a serious perspective isn't it the case that alcohol isn't good for exposure situations, IIRC I think it cons the body into thinking its warm when its not and can contribute to dehydration - I don't think St Bernards carry real brandy for this reason do they?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Megamum, It dilates blood vessels, so you lose heat
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Vasoconstriction - the body's reaction to severe cold draws the core temperature inwards, leaving the extremities to suffer the cold! Any alcohol may make the outside feel warmer, but in fact will only serve to accelerate the onset of feeling colder, quicker.
I guess if one was not in a hypothermic condition but merely bloody cold, coming into a warmer environment and having a stiff drink might mentally improve their outlook....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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No doubt his mates are now calling him 'Nanoo' of Knotty Ash 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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cc_7up, how long had he been there when you heard him, do you know? Just as well you nipped out for a cigarette really isn't it! It does make you think that you don't necessarily have to be up the mountain to end up in problems, as this case demonstrates.
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Well done cc_7up.
I once saved a girl who had fallen into a hole in the ice on the Lac du Lou (off piste by La Masse - Les Menuires). The guide had skied on, not realizing what happened. She was holding onto the edge of the ice, one arm and one leg under the water and one arm and one leg on top - both skis still on. Only needed a good pull on her arm to get her on top again, but must have been a cold journey back up the lift to Val Thorens, despite the fleece I lent her. At least it was a fairly warm, sunny day.
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You know it makes sense.
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2 or 3 season ago in St Anton on New Years Day a Brit was reported missing. It was presumed he fell over (drunk) on New Years Eve. It had snowed overnight quite heavy. All the towns civil guard,rescue services were mobilised. They probed all along the railway,river bank, in every garden in town for about 2 days.
Im not sure if they ever found him but they certainly made an effort.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Actually, what is demonstrated by this story is that the smoking ban saves lives.
If cc_7up, hadn't had to go out into the cold to smoke his cigarette, he'd never have heard the cries for help. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Kramer, 
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