Zain met, the border collar that leads the rescue operations in the ice collapses in Los Dolometas

Zen, who is five years of the border, turns strongly around a hill of snow after a scent is aware. Their rapid movements indicate that you are there Someone was buried in depths.

Zain works as a three -year rescue dog. The day preparation day is the instructions of 20 other dogs who make a path for dogs Obtaining the rescue certificate in the collapses in Italian heartAs the impressive sharp summits of the writers, painters and lovers of external activities were surprised.

The role of dogs in the Italian alpine saving operations increases with the increase in the number of people trapped by snows: 50 % more in the past 25 years. Climate It caused the abundant and wet snow to be more frequent In average levels between 1500 and 2500 metersWhere most hikers venture. This makes survival less likely in the case of ice breakdown, and pressure the air bags that would allow to breathe into the Alps or outside -blogging.

Dogs can smell corpses and survivors of ice collapses

The smell of the dog trained to rescue in the snows can determine the location of a person buried in the snow more accurately than any electronic device. This makes his role necessary to reach the victims “in the shortest possible time,” says Adriano Favre, who directs the dog training camp in mountains Cortina d’MtezzoStylish ski season and 2026 Winter Olympic Games headquarters.

After picking up the smell, Zen appears strongly with a sign of life – a game rope – from the snow cache, artificially manufactured to simulate the ice breakdown. Soon after, his coach takes a voluntary victim of snow and zen with Miter pampering.

Paulo Cypesa explains the training of Zen, which Raise it from a puppy. “Once the relationship is created, they will do anything to become happy.”

Nine days ago, in a port near only five kilometers in a straight line, Zain’s mission was very dangerous. Three trips were buried by an ice collapse In the passage of JiaoAbout 2300 meters. It is a usually suitable path for beginners, which develops between sharp rock walls near a mountain road. This became deadly after strong snowfall.

Zain and his sponsorship were traveling in the first helicopter, which left a 10 -minute base. When they arrived, the witnesses had already removed a 51 -year -old man of snow. The rescuers found the second victim with a respondent, 38 -year -old Burn less than two meters.

The smell of Zain was a key to locating the third skipper, a 40 -year -old woman buried by three or four meters of snow (with a deepening greater than usual, according to SBISA), which makes him Dog Rescue is necessary to locate the drilling. Despite her efforts, she and the second victim died, and they revealed an exciting fact: If you need a dog to find you, it may be too late.

For this reason, SBISA and other rescuers claim that it is necessary that the hikers have to know how to use the responses, the foldable and scriptable investigations, because the best opportunity to survive is alive. It is the rescue of colleagues Or witnesses. Dogs, most of the time, just locate the bodies. “If a mistake occurs, then the only weapon that rescuers in the Alps must search for dogs,” says SBisa. “We do not have another possibility.”

The snows in Italy increased by 50 % in 25 years

Italian collapses They have doubled since the beginning of the century, and they moved from an average annual From 30 to 60According to the snow control service and the collapse monitoring service. During the same period, the average number of hikers was significantly increased from 65 to 110 a year, according to the average.

For those who were buried, their stay is a matter of time. The best chance happens when the person is It is released in the first 10 to 15 minutesIgor Chiabratti, Technical President of the Italian Snow Association and Valetch NSAV says. If not in 35 minutes, studies show that 70 % of the victims die.

When a rescue dog developed Roberto Ferreno, he was buried under an ice collapse in the Alps in the northwest of Bidmont, Jourier skateMore than the average time to survive.

Today, seven years after his accident, Verino nor his wife knows how to survive, although a airbag formed a airbag that allowed him to breathe. His body temperature decreased to 26 ° C The heart rate is 30 pulses per minute.

However, Ferreno does not regret the mountain challenge only on that day, despite “great” risk warnings of collapse. He says his mistake is to choose a clear slope and lack of interest in wind. He says: “If you follow the natural road, nothing will happen.”

propaganda

In Italy, the rescue dogs always go in the first helicopter that leaves the base, but it usually takes Between 15 and 20 minutes When you reach the pen. The bad weather extends that period.

Put two dogs At ski stations It would reduce the time of reaching only five minutes, which states Chiambrettti that he is being studied in Italy, where there is 80 active dogs.

Climate change increases the risk of ice collapses

This logistical problem is added to the accumulation of snow, heavier and with water content ranging between 3 % and 8 %. Before looking at the spring snow, but now it looks in December thanks to the greatest air humidity already Warmer temperaturesExplica Chiambrettti.

It is especially common in very crowded medium altitudes and reduces the possibilities of survival when the air bags are compressed. With this type of snowfall, The number of people who will remain alive will be less and lessChiabretti says.

propaganda

This has become particularly frequent in Italy, at the southern end of the Alps, Next to the Mediterranean Sea. “The Mediterranean basin is a hot point, that is, a region of the planet where the climate change It is superior to the average world“Gianni Marigo, the climate scientist in AINVA. Italian Alpine Mountains, in turn, explains” a hot point inside a hot point. “

Climate emergency also means that Ice rivers are reduced all over the worldand Especially in the Alps. Snow levels in the southwest of the Alps have decreased about 5 % in the contract since the 1980s, according to a study conducted in 2024.

Another study in 2021, published in the “Borders in Physiology”, says: “With a more humid and warm snow climate, the consequences of burial will be more dangerous,” says another study in 2021, published in “Borders in Physiology”. “Sufficiency and shock, as causes of death by the collapse, can increase.”