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Four Skiers Buried by "Serious" Avalanche

Originally posted on Powder | By Matt Lorelli | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 12:35 PM ET

Four skiers are feeling lucky to be alive after a terrifying avalanche released in New Zealand on Friday, July 18, 2025.

According to the incident report submitted to the New Zealand Avalanche Advisory, a group of six skiers was uphill ski touring on Glacier Knob, near Mount Ruapehu, in the Tongariro region.

Of the six members, four were partially buried. Of the four that were partially buried, one skier was buried with their arm and face free, and another skier was "completely buried with only one hand protruding".

The incident report lacks specific details about who conducted recovery efforts, but it confirms that all four skier's airways were cleared within two minutes of burial, and that all skiers were completely excavated within ten minutes.

"Sharing information of this nature is crucial to help improve everyone in the alpine community’s safety, trip planning, and decision making in the backcountry," writes New Zealand Avalanche Advisory about the submitted incident report. "A huge thanks to the group for sharing a timely report."

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The avalanche was quite large according to the incident report. Here's a breakdown of its size and relevant information:

Size: 1.5

Width: 50m (164 ft.)

Aspect: North

Length: 50m (164 ft.)

Depth: 40m (131 ft.)

Elevation: 2450m (8,038 ft.)

When it comes to avalanche rescue, there are few things more important than time.

According to the American Avalanche Association (AAA), 75% or more of avalanche related deaths occur due to asphyxiation. Whether an avalanche victim is unconscious or not, their air supply is extremely limited. Speed is of the essence.

In this particular avalanche accident in New Zealand, the rescuing party responded appropriately by working to clear airways first. The chance of survival decreases exponentially with each passing minute that an avalanche victim is buried.

"Death from asphyxiation is time dependent. Simply put, the longer you are buried, the more likely you will die," writes AAA. "The American Avalanche Association (AAA) published a graph that states chances of survival are 92% if you are extricated within 15 minutes. And chances go down to 37% after 35 minutes of burial time. To put this into perspective, the chances of death go up about 3% per minute after 15 minutes of burial time."

If you're looking to explore the backcountry this season or next, considering taking an AIARE Level 1 Course and brush up on your backcountry safety tips.

We're still a few months away from the ski season here in the United States, but reading avalanche reports from places like New Zealand and South America are a great way to stay brushed up on avalanche safety all year long.

Stay safe out there, friends!

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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