Life can be terribly cruel sometimes, especially when it’s ironic.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Life sometimes can be cruel, and very ironic in its cruelty. Alanis Morissette sang about the irony of life in a very popular tune. And as avalanche-surviving expert dies in an avalanche, she could easily add a new verse to her song.
Kip Rand was the director of the Avalanche Center in Wallowa. The 29 years old man died to extreme internal injuries after he was caught in an avalanche. His wounds cost him his life long before his colleagues managed to reach him.
The sad incident took place on Tuesday while Rand was backcountry skiing accompanied by a friend. According to the press statement released on Thursday by the Center, the two men choose to ski in the Wallowa Mountains in the northeastern part of Oregon.
The avalanche-surviving expert was on a tour of the Sacajawea Peak in the Chief Joseph and Hurwal Divide Mountain with his skiing companion when the break of a large cornice provoked an avalanche. Rand was swept down a tight chute.
The 28 years old man friend managed to escape and searched for him. Rand was eventually found partially buried and unresponsive. According to a board member of the Avalanche Center in Wallowa, Michael Hatch, the companion promptly initiated a locator device and performed CPR on his friend after calling for help.
It took two minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation to revive Rand. But he was up and moving afterwards, and they both sought out a safe area where they waited to be rescued.
Hatch mentioned in his official press release that Kip Rand died around 8 PM due to injuries sustained from the fall. The two men were still waiting for the search-and-rescue Wallowa County team to arrive when Rand have his last breath.
It took an additional two hours for the team to reach the location where the two men decided to seek cover. Hatch ended his declaration by saying that Rand was very passionate about the mountains, and he sincerely enjoyed to share his love and knowledge with his friends.
All of his colleagues regret his passing, each having learned a valuable lesson from him over the years in which they worked together.
It seems that life’s sense of humor is twisted as an avalanche-surviving expert dies in an avalanche. At least friends and families are sure of the fact that Rand did everything in his power to fight for his life, and it wasn’t a lack of knowledge that led to his death.
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