Utah rescue crews search for 2 of 3 skiers who went missing after avalanche
Rescue crews in Salt Lake City, Utah, are searching for two skiers who went missing after an avalanche rushed down Lone Peak on Thursday — a third skier who was originally reported missing has since been found.
The Associated Press reported that rescuers responded to the area just after 10 a.m. on Thursday, after reports of an avalanche near Lone Peak in the Wasatch Range, just southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah, according to Sheriff Rosie Rivera.
Three skiers were originally reported missing, though one of the skiers was able to dig himself out of the snow.
After being located, the skier was airlifted off the mountain and transported to an area hospital.
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Due to the conditions on the mountain, crews were unable to search for the remaining two skiers and needed to do mitigation work for safety.
Sheriff Rivera could not say whether the other two skiers were buried during the snow slide.
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The sheriff also said she believed the man who called for help was the skier who was rescued, adding that officers were interviewing him at the hospital to get additional information about the series of events that had occurred.
Fox 13 in Salt Lake City said the sheriff also said teams hoped to get on the mountain on Thursday, though efforts may have to wait until Friday, when conditions were expected to improve.
Craig Gordon of the Utah Avalanche Center told the station the area had seen over 30 inches of snow and more than three inches of water over the last three days, increasing the dangers of an avalanche occurring in the backcountry.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.