Multiple Burials - bca Tracker3 Owner's Manual

Operating Instructions
Shoveling
Shoveling is difficult and consumes the majority of time during an
avalanche rescue. For best results, start shoveling just downhill of the
probe (Figure J). Make sure your hole is at least one "wingspan" wide.
In burials deeper than one meter, excavate downhill about 1.5 times the
burial depth.
Figure J
1.5 x
burial depth

Multiple Burials

Complex multiple burials are rare in recreational settings and usually can
be treated as a series of single burials. When more than one transmitting
victim is within the receiving range of Tracker3, the multiple burial icon
q
will illuminate and stay solid. (Note: this icon can occasionally illuminate
irregularly in the presence of electromagnetic noise or when detecting
older analog transceivers). If there are more than two transmitting victims
within range, then the "+" icon will illuminate.
If the multiple burial icon is illuminated and/or Tracker3 displays more than
one distance and direction, then there are probably several victims within
range. Stay in search mode and focus on the closest distance reading,
attempting to engage that signal in the center search light.
Once you are significantly closer to one signal than the other, Tracker3
will "lock" onto that signal and mask out the others. Once this signal is
isolated, Tracker3 will behave very similar to how it does in a single beacon
search. Once you have located and excavated the first victim, turn his or
her beacon off if you determine the conditions are safe. If you have a clear
signal, then begin searching for the next victim.
If the close proximity icon "[ ]" is illuminated around the multiple burial
icon, then there are at least two victims in close proximity, both within
approximately five meters of the searcher. If the searcher is moving fast
and not paying attention, it is possible to move past a signal without
seeing it displayed. In complicated, close-proximity multiple burial
situations where it is not possible to turn off the found victims' beacons,
it can be helpful to use one or more of the advanced search techniques
found in the Advanced Tracker3 Manual.
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