Tornado: no section for bad weather

[Marchesk]

Cat Dahman's recent book, Dyatlov Nine: Death Below Zero proposes that a tornado was the compelling force for leaving the tent. As the group grows worried from the increasing sound of wind, Semyon spots a tornado beyond the ridge after going out to take a piss and grabbing his camera to take pictures of a lightning storm. He goes back in and yells for everyone to leave, then cuts the tent with his Finnish knife to expedite their exit. On the way down the slope, several injuries occur from falling caused by the ridges they cross. Rustem never makes it to the trees. The fire isn't enough to save the Yuris as hypothermia sets in for them first, so the remaining six move to the ravine for shelter. But three of them approach from the wrong side while collecting branches, and cause a collapse and fall onto rocks. In the end, Igor and Zina are the remaining survivors. Overcome by all the deaths, Igor heads back to the tent. Zina soon follows him.

The author claims this theory is more consistent with the evidence than any of the others. Some of the more popular ones are briefly discussed.

My questions are:

1. Do we have consistent enough weather reports to determine whether a tornado could have occurred in that area that night?
2. Were the ridges enough to cause injuries, in particular Rustem's skull fracture?
3. Was it cold enough for the two Yuris to die around a fire with the others tending to it at the Cedar tree?
4. Can a fall into the ravine where the bodies were found explain the most severe injuries?

[jarrfan]

From everything I read there were no weather conditions to cause a tornado, but I could have missed it. The area was covered in snow, although there were rocks beneath, some big rocks but the snow was deep, even at the tent. So whether going out and falling is a possibility, I suppose it could be if there were not enough snow covering the rocks. If you look at the picture of the den built by the hikers, it is about 15 feet deep. I have no  idea if they dug that out or they made the den floor and were going to build the snow around it. As far as the ravine 4, they were directly on the bottom with the rocks. At the time of the event, the stream was frozen. From the bodies of the 2 Yuri's and Dyatlov, they were covered in less than 1 foot of snow, so that was 3 weeks after suspected event.

As far as the 2 Yuri's, what was their motive for climbing the tree? Not to get branches because there were plenty at the immediate area. This is a puzzling find. But they definitely climbed because their skin was ripped and there were pieces of their flesh on the tree bark.

The puzzling question about the injuries such as broken ribs, heart bruising, severe head injuries, these type of injuries are not the kind you would find with someone falling down from a standing position. Rustem had fractures on both sides of his temporal areas, one stronger than the other creating a complete fracture to the middle of the suture line. Even if the Ravine 4 fell into the ravine, it had to have been from a tremendous height to incur those injuries. The injuries are comparable to being in a car wreck at a fast speed.

[Marchesk]

While watching a Youtube video trying to see whether they would retrace the steps of the hikers down the slope to see what the ridges look like in the snow, I found this to be funny:

f you look at the picture of the den built by the hikers, it is about 15 feet deep. I have no  idea if they dug that out or they made the den floor and were going to build the snow around it.

With just bare hands? I doubt it. I also doubt that the ravine would have had no snow in it.

[jarrfan]

Thanks for your response. I agree they probably did not dig the den, so that means 15 feet of snow fell on the den area in 3 weeks which is certainly possible.

The ravine probably had snow in it also, but big rocks like the one Lyudia was found curled around.

[Star man]

I don't think there is any evidence of a tornado.  Even if they had seen some kind of tornado or heard one, what benefit would there be in running from the tent to your almost certain doom on the off chance that the tornado was going to hit your tent - which it obviously didn't.  Besides the wind direction was the same direction they ran which would be foolish.  Why would you try to outrun a tornado by going in the direction of the wind?

I would not advise buyin that book I'm afraid.

Regards

Star man

[sarapuk]

The Tornado Theory does not fit well into this Dyatlov Mystery.  And there is no evidence of damage caused by a Tornado.