2 skiers confirmed dead in Utah avalanche, sheriff says
Two backcountry skiers were killed and one was rescued after an avalanche Thursday in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City that occurred after several days of spring snowstorms, authorities said.
A rescue team responded just after 10 a.m. to an avalanche reported near Lone Peak in the Wasatch Range southeast of Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said.
One of the skiers, who was able to dig himself out of the snow, had been rescued by midday and was taken to the hospital, Rivera said.
UTAH RESCUE CREWS SEARCH FOR 2 OF 3 SKIERS WHO WENT MISSING AFTER AVALANCHE
A rescue team in a helicopter flew over the area Thursday afternoon and confirmed the other two skiers were deceased, Rivera said. They are two men, ages 23 and 32. Their names have not been released, but their families have been notified, the sheriff said.
Conditions were not safe enough to allow for a recovery on Thursday, and crews planned to go out Friday morning, weather permitting, Rivera said.
Rivera said she believed the man who was rescued was the one who called for help. Officers were speaking with him at the hospital to get more information about what happened, the sheriff said.
The skiers hiked into the area Thursday morning, she said.
Lone Peak is one of the highest peaks in the Wasatch Range towering over Utah’s capital city. Its steep, rugged terrain makes it a popular destination for advanced backcountry skiers, and experienced climbers can be found scaling its sheer granite walls in the warmer months.
The slide happened in the Big Willow Cirque, said Craig Gordon with the Utah Avalanche Center.
"This is very serious terrain. It's steep. It's north-facing. The crew that was up there would have to be experienced," Gordon said.
About 2.5 feet of heavy, wet snow fell in the area in the past three days during storms that also brought very strong winds, he said.
"With spring, avalanche conditions can change in an instant," Gordon said.
The deaths bring this winter’s tally of avalanche deaths to at least 15, which is less than the average of about 30 people who are killed by avalanches in the U.S. each year. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center, which keeps track of the figure nationally, tallied 13 deaths before authorities announced Thursday’s fatalities.