ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An avalanche in Alaska backcountry swept up and buried three skiers under a blanket of snow that could be as deep as a 10-story building, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday.
While troopers have not been able to assess the site yet, “based on the information provided by the operator, unfortunately, we do not believe that any of the three missing persons survived the avalanche,” Austin McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers, said in a text to The Associated Press.
If the deaths are confirmed it would be the deadliest U.S. avalanche since three climbers were killed in a slide in Washington’s Cascade Mountains two years ago.
The slide happened late Tuesday afternoon near the skiing community of Girdwood, located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Anchorage, said McDaniel.
Guides from the heli-skiing company attempted to locate the skiers. Using avalanche beacons, the guides identified a probable area where the skiers were buried, at a depth of 40 feet (12 meters) to 100 feet (30 meters), McDaniel said in a later email.
“The guides were unable to recover the three skiers due to the depth. Due to considerable avalanche risk in this area and limited daylight, no further recovery operations were conducted on March 4,” he said. “If weather and conditions allow for it, Troopers plan to assess avalanche conditions from the air and determine recovery options with individuals that have experience making avalanche recoveries.”
This is a developing story.
