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Pro skier Matilda Rapaport dies during promotional film shoot for Ubisoft's Steep

Soodanim

Soodanim

Gold Member
Simply reading the discussion about being buried alive under snow made me feel claustrophobic. I hope she suffered as little as possible. Poor woman.
 
G

Giriath_89

Member
Swedish news report she died because of damages caused by asphyxiation. So probably extensive brain damage they couldn't do anything about. :(
 
woopWOOP

woopWOOP

Member
Septimus Prime said:
Damn, RIP.


I don't remember where I heard it, but someone said that, if you are caught in this and still conscious, spit and watch where your saliva goes, and that is down. Then dig in the opposite direction.
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I heard the same thing
Doubt I'd even think of it the moment I'm trapped under a shitton of snow tho, instinct panic mode kicks in and I'd just do the dumbest thing possible

Either way, RIP, condolences to her family, friends and colleagues.
 
T

tearsintherain

Member
Really sucks, I always feel especially terrible when someone who is in the top 1% of anything dies too early, feels like we lost someone really special way too soon.

Crazy to think a bunch of falling snow could be so deadly.
 
B

bundaberg

Banned
Gen X said:
Sad news. RIP Rapaport



That's where carrying a lighter is handy. Light flame and see if it tries to bend. The tip of the flame points up.
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If you're trapped in an avalanche, you're generally locked in. Can barely move a centimetre. No chance you're lighting anything, let alone digging yourself out. You die of suffocation and only have minutes to be rescued.

The people who have survived by digging themselves out are generally very close to the surface or even have a limb free of the debris once they come to a stop.
 
E

EloquentM

aka Mannny
RIP

bundaberg said:
If you're trapped in an avalanche, you're generally locked in. Can barely move a centimetre. No chance you're lighting anything, let alone digging yourself out. You die of suffocation and only have minutes to be rescued.

The people who have survived by digging themselves out are generally very close to the surface or even have a limb free of the debris once they come to a stop.
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Came to say this, since there seemed to be some incorrect information.
 
T

twobear

sputum-flecked apoplexy
I wonder if we'll see cut content to remove all of the weird rag doll deaths that were all sort of already jarring when they showed the game at E3.
 
C

CyclopsRock

Member
EloquentM said:
RIP


Came to say this, since there seemed to be some incorrect information.
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Indeed - and it's why a lot of resorts where you're "allowed" off piste insist you have radio devices and shovels; not to dig yourself out, but so that if there's an avalanche there are a bunch of people around you with shovels and radio devices too who can hopefully find you and get you out.

I read about these compressed-air balloon backpacks which are meant to try to keep you above the surface, and the patter was good but I have no idea how well they really work. There was one brand, though, where you could buy a bunch of them and they would all communicate so if one person hit the emergency inflate button, they all go off. This helps people skiing with headphones or further down the mountain etc.
 
S

SomTervo

Member
Gen X said:
That's where carrying a lighter is handy. Light flame and see if it tries to bend. The tip of the flame points up.
Click to expand...

No, it doesnt work like that. If somebody dumped two tons of gravel on your head right now would having a lighter in your pocket help you?

It's highly improbable that you'll have moving space.
 
Y

yarrmateys

Member
RIP.

a few months ago there was another red bull snowboarder (who also happened to be female) who passed due to an avalanche, while doing a documentary. it's a bit deja vu seeing this news
 
D

Doc_Drop

Member
First of all RIP, a harsh reminder of the dangers of extreme sports. Thoughts go out to her family and friends.

godelsmetric said:
I wonder if we'll see cut content to remove all of the weird rag doll deaths that were all sort of already jarring when they showed the game at E3.
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Possible but I'd say doubtful, every athlete involved in these sports accept the possible consequences so I don't think the design philosophy of the game would change due to this terrible accident. I would however assume they will acknowledge it.

:Motorbass said:
I'm thinking about trying to let snow fall on your face. Then you might know the orientation. I bet it's easier said than done.
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If you have the space/light you can spit which will show your orientation and which way gravity is going but it's still a long shot. Your best bet is proper safety equipment and a good amount of luck. It's why I'm very careful regarding off piste and if I did go out into the back country I would definitely get all the equipment possible
 
P

Plywood

NeoGAF's smiling token!
ManThatYouFear said:
Cant you just create enough room by your face to spit to see gravity at work?

Very sad news though :(
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothermia#Severe
As the temperature decreases, further physiological systems falter and heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure all decrease. This results in an expected heart rate in the 30s at a temperature of 28 °C (82 °F).[15]

Difficulty speaking, sluggish thinking, and amnesia start to appear; inability to use hands and stumbling are also usually present. Cellular metabolic processes shut down. Below 30 °C (86 °F), the exposed skin becomes blue and puffy, muscle coordination very poor, and walking almost impossible, and the person exhibits incoherent/irrational behavior, including terminal burrowing (see below) or even stupor. Pulse and respiration rates decrease significantly, but fast heart rates (ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation) can also occur. Atrial fibrillation is not typically a concern in and of itself.[2] Major organs fail. Clinical death occurs.
Click to expand...
 
E

E-flux

Member
Doc_Drop said:
If you have the space/light you can spit which will show your orientation and which way gravity is going but it's still a long shot. Your best bet is proper safety equipment and a good amount of luck. It's why I'm very careful regarding off piste and if I did go out into the back country I would definitely get all the equipment possible
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Going offroad is no joke i got lost in a forest once when i went off the path with my snowboard. I got knocked down by a sneaky branch and i just sank in to the snow, it was extremely hard to get the straps off and once i finally managed to get myself to a proper position to rise up i sank waist deep into the snow. The next 2 to 3 hours i spent in this awkward position lying on the snowboard pushing myself forward to the direction i knew the town was. I really can't even imagine how hard it would be to get out of an avalanche alive when powdered snow is already a nightmare to get out of.
 
C

Chichikov

Member
bundaberg said:
If you're trapped in an avalanche, you're generally locked in. Can barely move a centimetre. No chance you're lighting anything, let alone digging yourself out. You die of suffocation and only have minutes to be rescued.

The people who have survived by digging themselves out are generally very close to the surface or even have a limb free of the debris once they come to a stop.
Click to expand...
Yeah, you almost never can really dig yourself out, you almost certainly will not be able to move.
Not sure where people getting some their ideas in this thread...

Plywood said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothermia#Severe
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Avalanches don't kill you through hypothermia, you either die from the trauma or from suffocation, usually through CO2 asphyxiation. For what it's worth (and admittedly, it's not worth too much for her or her family and friends) CO2 asphyxiation is generally considered one of the least unpleasant ways to die.
 
D

Doc_Drop

Member
Chichikov said:
Yeah, you almost never can really dig yourself out, you almost certainly will not be able to move.
Not sure where people getting some their ideas in this thread...
Click to expand...

I think there may just be some posters unaware of the technologies likely used to survive these situations and how quickly those who survived were found and helped.
 
G

Gen X

Trust no one. Eat steaks.
SomTervo said:
No, it doesnt work like that. If somebody dumped two tons of gravel on your head right now would having a lighter in your pocket help you?

It's highly improbable that you'll have moving space.
Click to expand...

I understand and agree to the replies to my comment but I was merely replying to someone above me that mentioned about people digging any way but up. If they were able to dig and move then there would be a chance they could access a pocket.

Anyway, this is irrelevant in this thread. Saw Rapaports last post on instagram, very eerie.
 
B

Boney

Banned
Wow that's terrible. I wonder if it was in the Central Valley or the souther mountain range. So odd and what a shame.

Rest in peace
 
T

Trouble

Banned
Oreoleo said:
It's possible, but difficult. I forget the method but I remember reading that if you can manage to make a small pocket under the snow in front of your face, or fall in a way that your face isn't packed in you can get a little air to survive until someone hopefully finds you.

This link that Dunkley posted just above (thank you btw) says her coma was a result of oxygen deprevation, so while you CAN breathe under the snow if you're lucky, it is far from a guarantee.
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The problem is that your breath being warm melts a thin layer of snow effectively creating a bubble around your head in which you asphyxiate. That's what the avalung was invented to try to avoid. The problem is you need to have the avalung mouthpiece in before being hit by the avalanche, since your arms very well could get pinned. There are also backpack deployed airbags which are suppose to make you buoyant of a sort when you get hit, so you don't get buried.

Neither of these are a guarantee, of course.
 
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