New Avalanche Canada multimedia project Rescue at Cherry Bowl is great

Avalanche Canada unveiled the new multimedia, interactive website Rescue at Cherry Bowl on Nov. 4. The ‘site takes the viewer through the experience of backcountry skiers who were saved after being hit by a large avalanche, burying three of them deeply.

Screenshot from Rescue at Cherry Bowl interactive website. Image: Avalanche Canada

The website features engaging, interesting, multimedia storytelling.

“This is a story that needs to be told,” says Mary Clayton, the project’s manager and Communications Director for Avalanche Canada. “Three lives were saved because the rescuers knew exactly what to do. The four rescuers had recently taken a Companion Rescue Skills course and that training made the difference between life and death.”

Screenshot from Rescue at Cherry Bowl interactive website. Image: Avalanche Canada

Rescue at Cherry Bowl tells how a day went terribly wrong, through the eyes of everyone involved. The site then allows the user to explore other aspects of the story — including the information in the forecast, why the snowpack was weak, the human factors behind some of the decision making, and the effect of training on the rescue process.

Key Revelstoke residents involved in the project include project manager Mary Clayton, designer Kathryn Whiteside, Avalanche Canada web developer Will Harding, and Clair Israelson, who arrived at the scene after the avalanche incident and serves as a voice of authority in videos on the website.

In an interview with the Mountaineer, Clayton said the project was successful because of the many people involved in bringing out the story. “This is a really profound story about people who spoke so honestly and emotionally about their experiences.”

The story is divided into several multimedia sections, including videos, tutorials, testimonials, graphics and other avalanche resources.

“We’re so grateful to everyone involved with this rescue for telling their stories so honestly and emotionally,” said Clayton. “In our role in accident prevention, too often our educational opportunities are based in tragedy. We are looking forward to sharing this project that has given so many rich, teachable moments on top of a happy ending.

“We hope this site will inspire more backcountry users to keep up their training, hone their rescue skills and continue to engage with Avalanche Canada and all our programs.”

View Rescue at Cherry Bowl here: http://www.avalanche.ca/cherry-bowl