Reported Resuscitation of a Hypothermic Avalanche Victim With Assisted Ventilation in 1939

Abstract

We present a historical case of a 12-year-old boy who survived a reported avalanche burial in 1939 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The boy was completely buried for at least 3 h, head down, at a depth of about 1 m. He was extricated without signs of life and likely hypothermic by his father, who took him to his home. There, the father performed assisted ventilation for 3 hours using the Schäfer method, a historical method of artificial ventilation, without any specific rewarming efforts. The boy recovered neurologically intact. This case illustrates the importance of attempting resuscitation, possibly prolonged, of victims of hypothermia, even those who are apparently dead.

Keywords: artificial ventilation; hypothermia.