How To Survive An Avalanche: Authorities Find At Least 10 Survivors Including Three Children In Massive Italy Snowslide

Around 30 people were submerged by an avalanche with four found dead when the snowslide toppled Hotel Rigopiano in central Italy Wednesday afternoon. Fifteen people were still unaccounted for as authorities searched Friday for more survivors, officials said.

At least 10 people were found alive following days of chaos as officials searched through 16.5 feet of snow and hotel debris to locate survivors. Three of the survivors were children discovered in the hotel ruins, firefighters announced.

Avalanches are rare occurrences of masses of snow, rocks and ice that fall quickly down a sloping surface, typically a mountainside. These landslides are deadly, with every second imperative for survival.

When an avalanche is first spotted at the start of its fall, experts have suggested to thrash around or “swim” to allow time to stay atop the snow, making survival “more likely,” avalanche forecaster John Snook told the Lost Angeles Times.

"If it comes over you and buries over your face, you want to fight, you want to swing, you want to punch," Sue Anderson of Wasatch Backcountry Rescue told NBC program "TODAY." "You want to fight as hard as you can to try to stay on top of that snow. When that snow stops, it settles down as hard as concrete. You have about a second to punch to get that air way done."

People who have planned to trek in avalanche-prone areas should prepare ahead of time for any emergencies, which includes carrying avalanche airbags and a tracking device for rescue teams to locate survivors.

Other survival tactics included keeping one arm above the head to allow a survivor to know if he or she is upside down – an incident that gets confusing if you have been tossed around in the snow. Since people buried in the snow slides get smothered, it is helpful to try to create an air pocket in front of the face as soon as possible in order to be able to breathe, Snook said.

"The whole idea is to just buy yourself some time until help can arrive," he added.