Leaving the avalanche site immediately after an accident is a grave mistake in rendering aid to one’s companions. Because the odds of survival are very good in the first 15 minutes, this period must be used by all group members to attempt to dig out the victim. For this reason a member of the group should leave only after this time in order to give the alarm. Never forget to search on the surface; there have been many cases in which buried victims were already dead when dug out by the rescue team, although body parts or pieces of equipment were clearly visible on the snow surface.