Snowshoeing Incident in the Tetons

On a bright January morning out for a day trip on snowshoes, you and two friends, Anna and Jason, traversed a snow slope beneath Shadow Peak in the Tetons. The air was clear, the snow glittered with 14 inches of new snow, and the mountain felt calm.

Midway across the bowl, the slope fractured above them with a deep thump. In seconds, all three are engulfed in a four-foot wave of snow that knocks everyone off their feet and carries them to the bottom of the bowl.

When the avalanche settled, Anna was half-buried near the surface. Shaken, she quickly freed herself from the surrounding snow. Below her, and to her right, she could see you doing the same thing. She watched as you awkwardly attempted to stand. It quickly became apparent that, although possible, you have difficulty fully supporting your weight on your left leg. Jason was nowhere in sight.

Turning our beacons to search mode, the signal led farther downslope and to the left. Sliding down the slope on our butts, you and Anna probed through the debris until she struck something solid. Digging diagonally from the side, Jason’s head and body slowly emerged from the hole nearly two meters beneath the surface. He was unresponsive and not breathing, with snow packed into his mouth and nose.
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What's wrong with Jason, and what should you do?

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