Be Seen Be Found Faster

The missing visual link in avalanche safety. A lightweight, mechanical add-on designed to accelerate the transition from search to rescue.

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The Reality

Companion Rescue Efficiency Has Plateauedi

While avalanche safety technology has advanced, companion rescue times have plateaued. Analysis of Swiss data reveals that median rescue times have stagnated at 10 minutes despite technological improvements, highlighting the critical need for rapid visual localization.

Companion Rescue (Median & IQR)
Companion Rescue (Median & IQR)
Number of Burials
Survival Probability

Source, based on Swiss avalanche data (Rauch et al., 2024).

AvaBuoy Deployed in Avalanche Scenario
The Solution

Visual Marking
Rapid Localization

AvaBuoy Deployed in Avalanche Scenario

AvaBuoy is a lightweight, mechanical device designed to complement existing avalanche safety gear by providing a visual surface marker and physical connection in avalanche scenarios.

  • Visual Surface Marker Buoy Engineered with low-density volume to leverage granular physics. Designed to rise independently and stay on the surface, creating a distinct visual reference point for rescuers.
  • High-Strength Cord A 5m high-strength Dyneema cord. Establishes a direct physical link between the surface marker and the user to guide rescue efforts.
  • Vital Supplement Engineered to complement transceivers, probes, and shovels for high-alpine environments. Enhances the standard safety kit where visual cues are often lost in vast debris fields.
  • Compact & Lightweight Weighing just 300g (total system weight), it adds a critical layer of safety without the weight penalty - making advanced visual marking accessible to every backcountry enthusiast.
How It Works

Deployment & Rescue Protocol

AvaBuoy is designed for intuitive mechanical activation and deployment during an avalanche event.

AvaBuoy Activation and Deployment Mechanism
Step 1

Intuitive Activation

A single pull triggers the mechanical release. The buoy inflates rapidly and detaches from the holster, allowing it to rise naturally to the surface independent of the victim's position.

AvaBuoy Surface Marker Buoy on Snow
Step 2

Surface Marker

The low-density bright orange buoy is designed to remain on the surface, creating a high-contrast visual target.

AvaBuoy Connection Cord in Avalanche Debris
Step 3

The Connection

A 5m Dyneema cord connects the buoy to the user, providing a direct path for rescuers.

AvaBuoy Rescue Scenario with Rescuers
Step 4

The Rescue

Follow the cord to the burial point to begin digging immediately; transceivers provide secondary confirmation if needed.

The Impact

Completing Your Safety System

While the median rescue is 10 minutes, deep burials (1m+) take significantly longer. Transceivers are essential, but at these depths, the fine search and probing phases consume critical minutes while survival probability drops. AvaBuoy is designed to provide a direct visual and physical link, reducing uncertainty and accelerating the transition to rescue.

Search Workflow Comparison 1M BURIAL

Standard Kit

Estimated Rescue Time: ~15–30 minEstimated: ~15–30 mini
Signal Search Signal
Probing
Digging

Standard Kit + AvaBuoy + AvaBuoy

Projected Rescue Time: ~10–15 minProjected: ~10–15 mini

Visual
Accelerated Search Accelerated
Digging
In multi-burial scenarios where transceiver signals can overlap, a visual marker provides a rapid advantage for triage, while transceivers serve as essential secondary confirmation.
Components

Swiss-Engineered Components

Key elements designed for reliability in extreme conditions.

Activation Mechanism

Mechanical pull-trigger punctures a small sealed gas canister to rapidly inflate the buoy. Deploys in under 2 seconds. Fully engineered for extreme cold conditions - no batteries or electronics required for inflation.

Orange Buoy

Low-density 5L surface marker constructed from tear-resistant, high-tenacity nylon. Features an auto-activating LED strobe to ensure visibility in low-light or storm conditions.

Reinforced Cord

5m high-strength Dyneema cord. Cuts through avalanche debris to guide rescuers directly to the victim. Engineered with a load-limiting rip-stitch that extends under high tension to relieve pressure, ensuring user safety while maintaining a secure link.

Holster

Optimized thigh-mount system. Centers weight for stability and ensures complete freedom of movement during ascents and descents.

The Science

Granular Physics

Engineered to leverage the laws of inverse segregation, enabling the buoy to rise naturally to the surface of a flowing avalanche.

Principle 01

Inverse Segregation

Avalanches flow like granular fluids, not water. Through the "Brazil Nut Effect," large objects naturally rise to the top while smaller particles sift downward to fill the voids.

Principle 02

Granular Mechanics

Engineered for dual-mode lift: Kinetic Sieving (agitation) drives ascent in powder, while Squeeze Expulsion (density pressure) forces the buoy to the surface in wet flows.

Principle 03

Density Decoupling

By detaching from the user, the buoy mitigates the anchoring effect of the victim's body density. This enables independent ascent through the flow, maintaining a visual link via the cord.

Launch Simulator

The Segregation Thresholdi

Size provides lift, but density creates drag. This chart maps the critical threshold where these forces cancel out.

Soft Slab (250 kg/m³)
Powder (100 kg/m³)
Soft Slab (250 kg/m³)
Hard Slab (400 kg/m³)
Wet Debris (550 kg/m³)
Ascending Zone (Est.)

The object's volume creates sufficient kinetic lift (sieving) to overcome gravity. In granular flows, this "Brazil Nut Effect" forces larger, less dense objects to the surface.

Descending Zone (Risk)

Gravity overpowers the lift effect. Even large objects tend to sink if their density is too high compared to the surrounding snow, trapping them deep in the debris.

Engineering

Built for Reliability

Built on an award-winning architectural lineage, AvaBuoy evolves field-proven technology into a modern safety necessity. It mitigates common failure points of electronic gear - batteries, software, and interference - offering mechanical simplicity when it matters most.

   MECHANICALi
RELEASE SYSTEM
< 2.0 SECONDS
INFLATION TIME
5.0 METERS
CORD LENGTH
300 GRAMS
SYSTEM WEIGHT
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