Snowboarder saved from avalanche by inflatable backpack

A snowboarder got the fright of his life when he was swept up in an avalanche - and was amazed to discover he had been saved by his inflatable backpack, aka an 'avalanche airbag'.

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The clever device comes in a backpack and is activated by pulled a ripcord, as if it were a parachute.

The big orange airbag works a bit like a rubber ring in water: it lifts the adventurer up and above the snow and reduces the chances of getting buried and suffocating.