This footage was caught on January 25th, 2012 in Colorado where a female professional snowboarder was riding down a mountain and triggered a sizeable avalanche.
Her life was saved because she was able to deploy her BCA Float 30 avalanche airbag before taking a ride. With it’s help she could remain on the surface of the slab as it broke out above her. The snowboarder managed to stay upright with her back and feet downhill for the entirety of the slide.

Lucky she was prepared? No doubt.

But don’t you have a feeling that the video is an obvious setup?
Everything looks like staged and prepared because:
— that was barely an avalanche, more of just a snow slide;
— the balloon thing did absolutely nothing to help the snowboarder (or better to say it just wasn't needed in this case);
— that was a stupid decision — especially for a professional — to ride that line (instead of sliding on an adjacent slope);
— the snow wasn't deep enough to even bury the snowboarder;
— there appeared to be too many people around;
— the snowboarder was on film (in real life they won't come to your help so quickly, specially with cameras ready to film it...).

So there is a feeling this is an advertisement to sell these airbags.
Product placement detected :))

I'm not saying the balloon thing couldn't help. The idea of the airbag is great because it should help keep the victim at least near the surface for easier escape or rescue. And even if it only increases anyone's chance of survival by a little bit, any bit helps…