avalung - / ˈeɪvə lʌŋ / -
noun
Apparatus designed to aid breathing and increase the victims window of survival, when trapped under the snow as the result of an avalanche. The most common cause of avalanche death is asphyxiation, this is due to the victim breathing carbon dioxide that accumulates around their face as their oxygen supply depletes. The avalung is a long tube with a bivalve intake that pulls air from the snowpack and deposits exhaled carbon dioxide away from the face. It is claimed that the device can extend the victim’s survival window from around 15 minutes to nearly an hour.
\\ I was thinking about investing in an avalung but I'm not sure how realistic it would be to get the tube in my mouth when being tumbled down the mountain.