When BCA first jumped in bed with Yamaha Motor Corp., we had no idea how close to home it would become. Yamaha has been distributing our Float avalanche airbags through their North American dealers for a few years now. Ironically, their product planner (buyer), Robert Orr, was involved in an avalanche near Alpine, Wyoming last winter where one of these Float airbags clearly saved the life of one of his riding partners, Richard Merritt. Check out the POV edit they made, especially the impromptu endorsement at 2:07 into the video clip (That f***ing thing saved your life!).
Merritt took a long ride and ended up partially buried, with his helmet slightly below the snow surface. His bright orange Floatairbag stayed on the surface the whole time, so his companions were able to find him quickly and clear snow from his face. Thank God for the bag, one of them says at 2:35.
It was for sure a good outcome of a potentially drastic situation, Orr told us afterward. This is exactly why we (Yamaha Motor Corp.) distribute BCA product its just something we need to do as good corporate citizens.
Richard Merritt shares his scary, avalanche survival story
It was a beautiful spring day for April 2015. Our snowmobilegroup had just left the shop in Alpine, Wyoming. Wetravelled about sevenmiles up the Greys River, when we jumped off trail and started playing through the trees climbing up in elevation, so Robert Orr from Yamaha could see the type of riding we do on the new Yamaha Vipers.
We made it to the first area and played around for a little while. As we were playing, I got stuck on a stupid little hill and it pissed me off that I made a mistake and got stuck (strike one). After Troy Johnson helped me get my sled out of the mess I put myself in, we decided to move on so we headed through the trees for another mile or so, playing while we moved. We finally reached a spot with a mountain chute and some tree riding. One of my friends Jason Soucie went up first alongside the chute and into the trees.
I followed and as I started my climb I hit a little pine tree and it bucked me off my sled and rolled me down into the chute, which upset me again that I had screwed up (strike two). While I was getting my sled back upright, two more friends Bryan Pack, and Dylan Haapala followed Jason into the trees. So I got my sled back upright and went down and turned around next to Troy and Robert Orr.
As I was looking at where the other three guys went, I decided I was going to climb the chute, and then side-hill through the trees to meet up with Jason, Bryan, and Dylan. Climbing the chute went just like I had planned, but as I reached the area I was planning on cutting through the trees, I came across a big downed tree. I couldn't make my line I had chosen, so I thought I would make a quick U-turn and go below the downed tree.
Richard Merritt sleds out of the trees and into a chute near Alpine, WY.
As soon I turned to the right to start my loop, I noticed that the snow was breaking free, and within seconds I was pointed downhill moving with the avalanche right back down the chute. My first thought was GOGO GO, so I punched the throttle and my sled went a few feet. The avalanche spun my sled out from under me, so I grabbed my BCA Float trigger handle and pulled it. I couldn't even hear if the bag went off, the avalanche was so loud.
I let go of my sled and pushed away from it and aimed my feet down the chute. Then everything went dark I felt my body get pushed forward to where my head was pointed down the hill. I just started trying to swim, and every so often I could feel my body come up out of the snow, and then I would get pushed right back down. At one point I felt I went airborne for a sec and then I hit hard knocking the wind out of me.
A few seconds later, I stopped moving. I couldn't move. My hands were to my side. My head and helmet were pushing into my chest and the snow was packing around me. My primary thought was to slow my breathing. Then it popped into my head that I might not be the only one caught in the slide because the last time I saw Troy and Robert was at the bottom of the chute had just come down. Then the next thing I know, I could feel the snow being moved off my back and I could hear Bryan talking. I tried to yell to him but nothing came out.
Then all at once, Bryan grabbed my BCA avalanche airbag pack and pulled me out.
I couldn't say anything at first. I was just trying to catch my breath. As soon as I could I asked, was anyone else caught in the slide? Troy and Bryan told me no that everyone else was fine, then they asked how I was. My response was That's twice and I don't think I have a third one in me. Then I asked if my bag went off.
This is a picture just after the slide as I was laying in the snow trying to catch my breath.
Bryan is bringing me my BCA pack.
Troy looked at me and said the avalanche airbag saved my life and that the avalanche airbag is how they found me because it was sticking up out of the snow. Troy then said to me that I would not believe how far I came down. I sat up and turned to look back up the hill and I was about 600 to 650 yards down the mountain from where I started, and I was about 20 feet from popping out the bottom of the avalanche debris. The airbag had kept me afloat.
I know for a fact that my BCA avalanche airbag and the quick actions of my five friends saved my life. If I would not have had the bag on, I would have been buried by the avalanche in the middle of the chute under probably 25 feet of snow, if not more. If my deployed avalanche airbag would not have been sticking up out the snow, my friends would not have found me in time (strike three Id would have been out!). Because after the avalanche stopped moving, I was buried for around seven minutes. At about four minutes of being buried even though they were to me and had me uncovered partially I had stopped breathing and passed out. I didn't even know I had passed out until we got back to the shop and watched the GoPro video that I had on my chest during the whole event.
Richard Merritt is a backcountry snowmobile guide with Lincoln CountyCustoms Backcountry Tours in Alpine, WY. Richard grew up in Star Valley, Wyoming hunting and camping in the same mountain range that he is backcountry riding and guiding in today. Richard served in The US. Army for 10 years as a mechanic and combat medic serving twotours in Iraq. When he got out of the Army, he moved back to Star Valley to live out one of his dreams which is to snowmobile as much as possible during the winters.