Five Things You Should Know When a Skier Crashes
Publishers Note: It is with great sadness that we learned of the recent passing of one of our most popular contributors, Harriet Wallis. This is one of her many important articles we are republishing this season.
“Stop! Don’t do that. Don’t move him”, I screamed.
My husband had misjudged the slope, crashed, and landed in a heap in the middle of the trail. He was also out cold.
We were skiing with his good buddy Lars when it happened. Lars skied to him and dragged him by his right arm until his body flattened out. Meanwhile, I was screaming at Lars to stop. But he didn’t stop.
By the time I side-stepped up the hill to the scene, Lars said, “I had to straighten him out. He looked so uncomfortable.”
Unconscious skiers are not uncomfortable – they are unconscious, and anybody who moves them before Ski Patrol arrives can make an injury worse. That’s likely what happened to my husband.
X-rays showed his shoulder was broken. Surgery and hardware repaired the bone, but fragile nerves might have snapped when he was dragged by his arm. We’ll never know.
The bone healed, but the nerve damage was complete. My husband has never again had use of his right arm. It was dead.
If Lars had some basic knowledge about what to do, it might have turned out better.
I talked with Mark Pollish, a career patroller and 40 year veteran of the Alta Ski Patrol, for some guidelines that we recreational skiers should heed in case of an accident.
Do No Harm
First of all, he said, when you come upon an accident, “Do no harm.”
When somebody crashes, “Don’t rush into the situation and become part of the problem. Whether it’s a ski crash or an accident on the highway, think extreme safety. People are quick to want to help, but don’t do anything that might jeopardize their safety or yours.”
The next guideline logically follows “Do no harm.”
Do Not Move the Person
“Do not move the person. That includes do not remove their skis. You don’t know what the injuries might be. There could be spinal injuries and moving the person could make it worse,” he said.
It doesn’t matter whether the skier or snowboarder is awake or unconscious. Don’t move them.
Just last year, I listened to two skiers awarding themselves kudos because they thought they were heroes. They saw someone fall and not budge, so they rolled him around and propped him up because he looked “so uncomfortable” He was unconscious through it all, and he was still unconscious when Ski Patrol arrived. Moving him could have caused serious damage. We’ll never know.
The first two guidelines focus on what you should not do. These next three are what you should do, Pollish said.
Make an X with your skis.
Take off your own skis and drive the tails into the snow forming an X well above the accident. Or, if you ride, plant your board upright in the snow. It warns others to stay clear of the area and also marks the location of the incident.
Call the patrol and stay on the phone with them.
Whether you are at your home mountain or visiting a resort across the country, it’s a good idea to have the patrol’s emergency number in your phone so you can reach them quickly, Pollish said.
At some ski areas, the main number is the best way to get connected to the patrol. At others, the patrol might be reached through 911. It varies from resort to resort, so it’s best to find out before you need to call for help.
Then be sure to “stay on the phone with the patrol” Pollish said, and give them “as much information as possible: location, description of the person, and what you know about the.situation.”
Finally, stay with the downed skier until the patrol arrives. You might be able to provide additional information that they need, he said.
Think safety. Ski safely.
Now, are your ready for a pop quiz? What are the 5 things you should know and do when a skier crashes?
She's a senior-age skier based in Salt Lake City and she enjoys nearly a gazillion ski days each winter. She also enjoys two stainless steel knees.
Harriet loves to be outdoors, so during other seasons she swims, bicycles and kayaks. She also single handedly rips up her yard, converting it to an arid and low water landscape with indigenous plants that she propagates. Skiing is a lot easier!
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Hi….this is great safety info. I would like to post a photo on my website about fall prevention showing an healthy active senior engaged in an activity safely…no names unless the person would like their name in the photo.
As a physician who has been first on site for many very serious injuries I can totally agree with what this writer said. It is always difficult to get others to let the person be. I have treated brain bleeds from falls, fractured femurs and various lacerations at the site of the injury and my biggest problem is getting people to leave the person alone. This behavior is not limited to the untrained. I used to live on the outside of a true 90 corner (15mph). One day an ambulance went straight, thru a fence and several trees in bad weather. They did not understand the need to put their emergency lights on so others would not follow their tailights. Yes it was able to drive away after being pulled out.
If you find that the injured person is not breathing, do whatever is necessary to get them breathing again. Try, as much as possible, to avoid any movement. Take a CPR class before you go out. Learn the “jaw thrust” method of opening an airway.
We need to find out if the person is breathing and has a pulse. If not we must position them and treat accordingly. If they are unconscious and do not have a clear airway we need to move them into an appropriate position. People need to have training to do this though. It’s no good just standing there while someone is not breathing just because we were told not to move them.
Please post this article at the beginning of each ski season. Everyone should read it every year as a reminder.
When contacting Ski Patrol / Safety Services use the acronym SAIL Sex, Age, Injury & Location. This gives the dispatcher enough to mobilize responders. Remain on the call and answer further questions.