Officials have reported that a skilled backcountry skier lost their life in an avalanche incident that occurred in Idaho on Friday.
According to the Sawtooth Avalanche Center, a skier, whose identity remains unknown, was skiing on Donaldson Peak in Idaho’s Lost River Range. The skier was accompanied by another experienced backcountry skier.
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As the skier was descending to the spot where they intended to ski, a slope collapse was triggered, according to officials. The individual became trapped in a minor avalanche, subsequently leading to the initiation of a more substantial avalanche.
The second skier managed to call for help using a satellite communication device and then proceeded to ski down the avalanche path. Equipped with a rescue transceiver and probe pole, she skillfully located the first skier who was buried under approximately five feet of snow.
After using a shovel to rescue him from the debris, she proceeded to administer CPR. Despite the efforts of search and rescue teams to evacuate him, officials sadly reported that he did not survive.
This week, three deaths have occurred due to avalanches. On Thursday, two skiers lost their lives in the mountains outside Salt Lake City. Fortunately, a third skier managed to survive. Additionally, in the month of March, two snowmobilers in Idaho and Washington tragically died in separate avalanche incidents.
According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, there have been 16 avalanche deaths in the U.S. this winter. This number is lower than the average of approximately 30 avalanche-related fatalities that occur in the country each year.
