Possible Air Bag in Development to Help Survive an Avalanche

A fellow in wilderness medicine at the University of Utah is helping design an air bag that would help hikers survive an avalanche.

Colin Little said Monday the bag is activated with a backpack string, and it pushes a pocket of air into the space near the head of a person who's buried in snow.

Little said the extra air lasts for at least an hour, and could keep someone stable for up to ten hours.