Buried in Snow

On December 26, 2018, a 12-year-old boy named Hector was skiing down a mountain in France. Swoosh! The boy sped up. Then, out of nowhere, disaster struck.

Boom! A heavy sheet of snow broke off the mountain. It came roaring down the ski slope, burying everything in its path. It was an avalanche! 

The avalanche pushed Hector more than 300 feet down the mountain. Then he vanished beneath the snow. 

A rescue team was quickly alerted to the disaster and jumped into action. With them was a Belgian Malinois dog named Gétro (GET-roh). He was a special type of rescue dog called an avalanche dog. He had trained for a moment just like this.

Would Gétro and the rescue team be able to find the boy in time?

On December 26, 2018, a 12-year-old boy named Hector was skiing down a mountain in France. Swoosh! The boy sped up. Then disaster struck.

Boom! A heavy sheet of snow broke off the mountain. It rushed down the ski slope, burying everything in its path. It was an avalanche! 

The avalanche pushed Hector hundreds of feet down the mountain. Then he disappeared under the snow. 

A nearby rescue team jumped into action. With them was a Belgian Malinois dog named Gétro (GET-roh). 

He was a special kind of rescue dog called an avalanche dog. He had
trained for a moment just like this.

Would Gétro and the rescue team be able to find the boy in time?

Avalanches are big piles of snow, ice, and rock that slide suddenly down a mountain. They can move as fast as 100 miles an hour—faster than a car speeding on a highway! When the avalanche stops, the snow packs together and hardens like concrete. 

Avalanches don’t usually occur in areas where people ski or snowboard. But if they do, a person can get trapped under the heavy mass of snow. After about 15 minutes buried in an avalanche, a person’s chances for survival drop greatly. That’s because air runs out quickly under the tightly packed snow. 

It’s very difficult for rescuers to find a person buried in snow. That’s where avalanche dogs come in.

Avalanches are big piles of snow, ice, and rock that slide suddenly down a mountain. They can move as fast as 100 miles an hour. That’s faster than a car speeding on a highway! When the avalanche stops, the snow packs together. It hardens like concrete. 

Avalanches don’t usually happen in areas where people ski or snowboard. But if they do, a person can get stuck under the heavy snow. After a person is buried for about 15 minutes in an avalanche, their life is in serious danger. That’s because air runs out quickly under the packed snow. 

It’s very hard for rescuers to find a person buried in snow. That’s where avalanche dogs can help. 

Around the world, many mountain rescue teams have dogs at the ready in case disaster strikes. Why? One big reason is that a dog’s sense of smell is far better than ours. In fact, a dog’s nose can be up to 100,000 times more sensitive than a human’s! 

“A dog can probably smell what you ate for dinner last night and who you hugged five hours ago,” says Malia Reeves. She’s an avalanche dog handler in New Mexico.

That ability is key when looking for someone trapped under the snow. Dogs can pick up smells from a buried glove or boot that people would miss. And they can easily figure out where exactly that scent is coming from. 

Around the world, many mountain rescue teams have dogs at the ready in case of disaster. Why? One big reason is that a dog’s sense of smell is far better than ours. In fact, a dog’s nose can be up to 100,000 times more sensitive than a human’s! 

“A dog can probably smell what you ate for dinner last night and who you hugged five hours ago,” says Malia Reeves. She’s an avalanche dog handler in New Mexico.

That ability is very important when looking for someone stuck under the snow. Dogs can smell things that people would miss. For example, they can smell a buried glove or boot. And dogs can figure out where that smell is coming from.

Avalanche dogs begin training as puppies. It takes years for them to be ready. The dogs have to learn how to run through deep snow and climb up icy ground. They also have to get comfortable riding on snowmobiles and helicopters to get around the mountain. 

Finally, the dogs practice rescues. In these drills, a volunteer hides under a mound of snow. (The person is buried in a big hole under loose snow, so they can breathe.) When a trainer yells “Search!,” the dog sniffs around and looks for the hidden person.

Finding the person gets the dog a fun reward: playtime! That teaches the dog that searching for someone buried in snow is like a game of hide-and-seek.

But being an avalanche dog is serious work. A well-trained avalanche dog can save a rescue team crucial minutes. After an avalanche, that can mean the difference between life and death

Avalanche dogs start training as puppies. It takes them years to be ready. The dogs have to learn how to run through deep snow and climb up icy ground. They also have to get used to riding on snowmobiles and helicopters to get around the mountain. 

Finally, the dogs practice rescues. In these drills, a volunteer hides under the snow. (The person is buried in a big hole under loose snow, so they can breathe.) When a trainer yells “Search!,” the dog sniffs around. It looks for the hidden person.

Finding the person gets the dog a fun reward: playtime! That teaches the dog that searching for someone buried in snow is like a game of hide-and-seek.

But being an avalanche dog is serious work. A well-trained avalanche dog can save a rescue team crucial minutes. After an avalanche, that can mean the difference between life and death.

Back in France, nearly 40 minutes had passed since the avalanche hit Hector. Gétro sniffed the area. Everyone was worried. 

Suddenly, woof! Gétro started digging with his paws. He had found the boy! The team used shovels to get Hector out. He was nearly frozen. But he was alive. “It’s a true miracle,” said Raphaël Chovin, Gétro’s handler.

That evening, the rescue team celebrated the incredible rescue. And Gétro? He enjoyed a well-earned treat.

Back in France, nearly 40 minutes had passed since the avalanche hit Hector. Gétro sniffed the area. Everyone was worried. 

Suddenly, woof! Gétro started digging. He had found the boy! 

The team dug Hector out. He was nearly frozen. But he was alive. 

“It’s a true miracle,” said Raphaël Chovin, Gétro’s handler.

That evening, the rescue team celebrated the rescue. And Gétro? He got to enjoy a well-earned treat.

It’s a winter morning on a ski mountain in New Mexico. The cold air chills my wet nose, and my ears flap in the breeze. 

Woof! I wag my tail as my handler, Malia Reeves, pats my head. I’m a Labrador retriever named Kona, and I can’t wait to start my workday as an avalanche dog!

It’s a winter morning on a ski mountain in New Mexico. The air feels cold on my wet nose. My ears flap in the wind. 

Woof! I wag my tail as my handler, Malia Reeves, pats my head. I’m a Labrador retriever named Kona, and I can’t wait to start my workday as an avalanche dog!

Suddenly, Malia receives a call. She rushes to her snowmobile, and I follow. We go almost everywhere together.

“Load up!” says Malia. At the command, I jump up onto the snowmobile. Malia drives it across the mountain. When we stop, Malia says, “Search!” I know what that means. We’re playing a game I love: hide-and-seek!

Running back and forth, I keep my nose high in the air. Sniff, sniff, sniff. Finally, I catch a faint scent. It smells like a human. (Did they have a hamburger for lunch? Yum!) But I can’t see them. They must be under the snow. I need to get them out so we can play!

Suddenly, Malia gets a call. She rushes to her snowmobile. I follow. We go almost everywhere together.

“Load up!” says Malia. At the command, I jump up onto the snowmobile. Malia drives it across the mountain. We stop. Malia says, “Search!” I know what that means. We’re playing a game I love: hide-and-seek!

I run back and forth. I keep my nose high in the air. Sniff, sniff, sniff. Finally, I catch a weak smell. It smells like a human. (Did they have a burger for lunch? Yum!) But I can’t see them. They must be under the snow. I need to get them out. I want to play! 

I find the spot where the human smell is strongest. I bark and start to dig. My paws scratch at the ice and snow. I don’t stop until I reach a man. He smiles and holds up my favorite toy. I tug the toy and pull the man out of the snowy hole. Then we run around and play some more.

“Good dog, Kona!” says Malia. This was a drill to make sure I’m ready in case an avalanche happens. But I’m just happy I got to play. Being an avalanche dog is awesome! 

I find the spot where the human smell is strongest. I bark. I start to dig. My paws scratch at the snow. I don’t stop until I reach a man. He smiles. He holds up my favorite toy. I tug the toy and pull the man out of the snowy hole. Then we play some more.

“Good dog, Kona!” says Malia. This was a drill to make sure I’m ready if an avalanche happens. But I’m just happy I got to play. Being an avalanche dog is awesome!