What to do if you are injured while skiing or snowboarding
Always have a snow buddy, ski or snowboard together. We have complied a guide of what to do if you or your snow buddies have been injured while carving up the mountain!
- If possible, don’t leave the injured person alone.
- Try to flag down another skier or snowboarder and ask them to send help. All they need to do is let the lifites know that someone is injured on the run and they will send Ski Patrol.
- Don’t move the injured person as you could cause more injuries. Do not remove their skis or snowboard, if they have a broken leg / ankle, this can make matters worse.
- Remove your skis or snowboard. Stand your ski’s upright up the hill in a “X”, this signals that you need help and to avoid this area or for a snowboarder, you can attempt to stand the snowboard up, if enough snow permits.
- Stand up (the uninjured person) so that people coming down the run can see you and will avoid you and the injured person, if they (the injured person) can’t be seen clearly.
If you are unable to flag someone else down to get help. Ask the injured person if they feel like they might be able to move, if so, help them move to the side of the run, out of the way of any other skiers or boarders, to avoid further injuries.
If you don’t have to move them, don’t! If possible (and you know that they can be moved without causing more injury) get the injured person to sit up against a tree or bush or make them a bed of leaves so they are not in direct contact with the snow as they will get very cold very quickly. Or if you have an emergency blanket handy, use it!
If you are not far from the top or bottom on the lift, take your board off and run to the nearest station, leaving your ski’s in a X or your snowboard visible to others skiers or to Ski Patrol. If there is only 2 of you, one might need to leave the other to get help.
HI Luis!
Thanks for commenting. That is a brilliant suggestions thanks so much! And very true. We don’t have emergency numbers here in Australia.. well not on the ski slopes that said they are fairly small.
I will definitely add your suggestions to the post (and credit you :)) when we have better internet connection 🙂
Great tips!
I was in a small ski accident last month and luckily I didn’t have any major injuries, just a bit of a bloody nose. A few nearby skiers stopped to get the lift attendant’s help while my friend waited with me. Ski patrol came, but I was feeling okay, just shaken up so the ski patrol followed me while I skied down to the main lift station.
Hi Pristine!
Oh no! I hope you are okay!
Glad you weren’t too hurt and glad to hear some nice people stopped to assist you!
Make sure you have travel insurance too and that the insurers emergency assistance team is contacted ASAP (they’re 24/7)