I tried explaining to my wife that IS MUCH SAFER to jump off of a mountain and squirrel suit down to parachute altitude, than to descend with ropes. Shes not buying it. She has forbidden me to squirrel suit, base jump, or go to an orienteering meet. sigh...

I recall some statistic about a large number of avolanche victims being wrapped around a trees or boulders and then crushed by a few million tons of moving ice. I think if that bag was big enough to keep you above the avolanche that you would die from rolling over a cliff.

Its sad to hear about another backcountry avolanche victim and my sympathies go to the family.
Jim