Rescue in Snow Environments

Origin

Two years ago, I was stuck in the snow waiting for patrol.

I broke my leg skiing at Big Bear Lake, California. After a 40-minute wait, the patroller who finally reached me couldn't move me safely — so he said the only honest thing he could:

"Bro, you might need to help yourself a little bit."

That moment became the seed for this research. Not a product first — a question first. What actually goes wrong when things go wrong in deep snow, and where is the rescue system failing the people inside it?

Me in the snow with a broken leg, waiting for patrol at Big Bear Lake. — Big Bear Lake · 2023

Research · 01 — The numbers

In snow, survival is a function of minutes — and most rescues lose.

Avalanche survival rates collapse almost immediately. Companion rescue — someone already on the mountain with the right gear — is the single most decisive factor. Professional response almost never arrives in time.

Survival rate · over time

Survival collapses within the first hour.

Survival Critical ↓ Baseline · pre-incident

01 · Early response

90%

0 – 15 min

02 · Window closing

30–50%

15 – 30 min

03 · Injury → death

20%

30 – 35 min

04 · Largely decided

10%

35 – 60 min

Observed survival rate Baseline · pre-incident Dots mark key transitions Data aggregated from alpine rescue reports

800,000

Ski & snowboard injuries per year, globally

Recreational ski / snowboard injuries estimated by the International Ski Federation, National Ski Areas Association, and European safety bodies.

200 – 300

Deaths per year · 84% in fast-onset conditions

Most fatalities occur in multi-casualty avalanche and deep-snow incidents where rescue teams are already stretched thin.

Research · 01b — Three compounding problems

Why rescue fails isn't one thing. It's three things happening at once.

Complex alpine terrain with steep backcountry and unstable snowpack.

01 · Terrain

Complex terrain, harsh environment

Steep backcountry, buried lines of sight, extreme cold and wind, unstable snowpack — rescue teams fight the mountain before they ever reach the victim.

Ski patrol team working with limited staffing and equipment.

02 · Resources

Insufficient rescue resources & personnel

Patrol staffing is thin during peak days. Multi-casualty incidents overwhelm capacity immediately, and specialized extraction gear is rarely on-site.

Rescue teams dealing with limited communication in snow canyons.

03 · Connectivity

Poor communication & coordination

Radio drops in canyons. Phones die in the cold. Victims can't signal, and responders can't triangulate — buried riders are often invisible to the teams above them.

Research · 02 — The two sides of a rescue

Every incident has two user groups. I built for both.

Interviews with nine riders, patrollers, and industry insiders kept returning to the same split: the person who needs rescue and the person who performs rescue. The helmet is written for the first. The vehicle is written for the second. The research underneath is written for both.

User at risk · competitive backcountry

Gu Jun · 33

Snowboarder and ski guide. Rides deep snow and steep terrain six days a week. Values lightweight, reliable gear that won't fail in the cold.

"I want something my kids can sit on safely and for me to not worry about repairs on the trail."

User performing rescue · ski patrol

Rachel Green · 37

Full-time ski patroller. Manages multiple incidents per day during peak season, balancing rescue operations with mountain-wide safety coverage.

"Difficult patient transfer. Over-reliance on patient mobility. Manpower limits. Fragmented equipment workflow."

Weekend rider · teacher, 44

Liyu Xu

Elementary-school teacher, weekend family rider. Prioritizes predictable handling, low operating cost, and safety for children and beginners.

"When I'm riding out past the tree line, the last thing I want to worry about is a stalled engine — reliability is everything."

Expert · snowmobile service, 51

Tom Miller

Snowmobile salesperson and service manager at a regional dealership. Windows into market trends: electrification, cold-battery concerns, serviceability.

"A sled that's quick to service and has commonly stocked parts will be the one I recommend to repeat customers."

Research · 03 — The market is ready

EV technology has earned its way onto the mountain.

Electric powertrains are no longer a rounded-edge compromise. They're the best available answer for the specific problems of snow rescue: instant torque at low temperatures, near-silent operation (rescuer hearing matters), lower running cost, simpler field service.

Global momentum

20% of new cars are electric

Over 200 EV brands on the road globally. Firm ICE phase-out policies in the EU, California, and China. 17.8M EVs sold in 2024.

Operating cost

Up to 85% cheaper to run

A 2-stroke sled burns $1,500–$3,000 in fuel per season. Grid charging comes out closer to $200–$400 for the same mileage.

Cold-weather tech

Self-heating battery packs

Thin-film heaters and phase-change materials keep cell performance stable at −20°C. Encapsulated housings shrug off snow and ice.

The outcome · two products

From one research,
two products.

The survival curve has two failure points — the moment of impact, and the long minutes that follow before a rescue team can reach you. Each product targets one of those windows.