avalanche beacon
Snowslide rescue transmitter
An avalanche beacon is a small radio transceiver worn by skiers, snowboarders, and mountaineers in avalanche-prone terrain.
When someone is buried, survivors switch their beacons to receive mode to locate the signal from the victim's transmitting device.
Speed is critical—survival rates drop sharply after fifteen minutes of burial.
Also called avalanche transceiver.
- transceiverDual-function communication device
- buriedPlaced beneath earth
- rescueSave from harm
- searchAct of seeking
- probeThorough examination or tool
backcountry · out of bounds · skiing · snowpack · signal · frequency · victim · debris · survival · pulse · search and rescue · digging · companion · ski patrol · slab · trigger · alpine · wilderness