Black Diamond Equipment has recalled about 76,300 PIEPS and Black Diamond avalanche transceivers due to the risk of losing emergency communications.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the recalled transceivers may not switch from Send to Search mode. If this were to occur, the device could not locate a skier caught in an avalanche, resulting in severe bodily harm or death.
Black Diamond said it had received 26 reports of the search mode on the transceiver not working correctly; however, no injuries have been reported.
The company has asked customers to immediately stop using the recalled transceivers and perform a safety check to verify if the device can switch into search mode by following instructions on the CPSC website.
If the device is not working correctly, consumers should contact Black Diamond for a prepaid shipping label to return the recalled transceivers for a free repair or a replacement device.
The recall involves the PIEPS Pro BT, Powder BT, DSP Sport, DSP Pro, DSP Pro Ice, Micro BT Button, Micro BT Sensor, and Micro BT Race avalanche transceivers and the Black Diamond branded Recon BT and Guide BT avalanche transceivers.
The recalled products were sold at Liberty Mountain, REI and other specialty outdoor stores nationwide and online at backcountry.com from January 2013 through April 2022 for between $300 and $450.
