RECCO

The RECCO rescue technology was developed in response to an avalanche tragedy that involved the inventor, Magnus Granhed, in Åre, Sweden, in 1973.[2] He was riding the ski lift to the Mörvikshummeln when he heard a tremendous roar. An avalanche had ripped down the very steep slopes of Svartberget. The result was chaos. Nobody knew how many people, or who, had been swept away in its path. “We started to search with our ski poles,” recalls Magnus. Later, probes and avalanche rescue dogs arrived, but in those days that was the only help available. Magnus remembers feeling “utterly helpless poking a ski pole into the snow” in an area the size of two soccer fields. By the time they found the two buried skiers the search had gone on for hours and both skiers had died.

The accident in Åre set him thinking about the possibility of an electronic locating device to locate buried people.[2] Granhed had just graduated with a Master of Science degree and turned to Professor Bengt Enander, Department of Electromagnetic Theory at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.[3]

After some testing, they saw that thermal imaging did not work and transceivers were too limited. It led Magnus to come up with the concept of a passive reflector that could be carried by a skier at all times and would be a simple and practical solution. During the winter of 1978-1979, Magnus worked together with the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, testing radio frequency penetration of snow. All winter, radio waves were sent into the snow, and by varying the frequencies every few hours an optimum frequency for penetration of the snowpack was arrived at. It took Enander’s team another two years to develop a harmonic radar that could be used to detect passive reflectors.[4]

Magnus formed RECCO AB in 1983 and soon created the first prototype, and although it was heavy and cumbersome, it worked.[4]

In 1987, a woman was localised with the RECCO rescue technology from a helicopter in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. She was the first live rescue found with the RECCO rescue technology.[4]

As of 2009, the active part of the RECCO rescue technology utilizes a small hand-held detector, which can easily be carried by one rescuer traveling on foot or from a helicopter. These detectors are now standard equipment with more than 900 ski resorts, mountain rescue teams, and parks worldwide.[5]

In 2015, RECCO introduced the SAR-1 helicopter detector that expands the use of technology from avalanches to finding a missing person lost in the outdoors (mountains, forest...).[6]

Integrated RECCO reflector on a jacket

The RECCO rescue technology consists of two parts: a reflector (integrated into clothing, boots, helmets, and body protection) and a detector (used by professional rescue teams).[7]

The RECCO reflector

RECCO reflector integrated in the pants

The reflector is a small (13 mm × 51 mm × 1.5 mm), light (4g) and they consist of a diode and an antenna. The reflector is a passive transponder, meaning it requires no batteries or activation.[8]

RECCO collaborates with more than 150 brands to integrate the RECCO rescue reflectors into their outdoor gears. Outdoors enthusiasts can thus equip themselves with products integrating reflectors such as ski boots, helmets, hiking shoes, jackets, pants and backpacks.[6]

The RECCO rescue technology is not intended for companion rescue and is not a substitute to transceiver used in the backcountry. The RECCO detector is another tool for organized rescue teams that complements their other search methods including rescue dogs, transceivers, and probe lines.

The system was originally developed for use at ski resorts where it is already recognized to be extremely valuable for ski-resort-based rescue teams and ski patrols. However, its value is not confined only to ski resorts. Even in the backcountry, RECCO has demonstrated its capability to find buried victims quickly.

Time is the enemy of all buried avalanche victims, and devices and technologies that can significantly reduce search times can make a difference for buried victims. Transceivers, RECCO, and dogs are all much faster than probe lines.

The June 2016 issue of the Journal of Wilderness and Environmental Medicine presents the case report of a live rescue of a buried off-piste skier using RECCO equipment that occurred in Spain 2015.[12]

The RECCO technology has gained popularity among researchers of some amphibian species, especially tropical frogs. The system allows researchers to track small frogs in their natural habitat.[13] It "is enabling scientists to begin unraveling the complex world of small-amphibian behavior in the hope that better understanding will improve conservation." [14]

• Recco AB Website