Three extreme adventurers dying to go skiing met their fate suddenly, as they triggered a massive avalanche. Authorities know where their emergency beacon is located but may not be able to recover the remains until summer. They’re currently buried under at least 40 feet of snow in Alaska’s remote backcountry.
Avalanche near Anchorage
It’s not clear if the three adult skiers were aware of any avalanche warnings for the remote area they planned to drop into. On Tuesday, March 4, they were flown to the top of a mountain near the resort town of Girdwood, Alaska by a local heli-skiing tour operator. Girdwood-based Chugach Power Guides.
It hasn’t been reported what time that afternoon they were dropped off but the snow slid right out from underneath them around 3:30 p.m.
According to a press release, “guides from the commercial heliskiing operation that the group was with immediately attempted to locate the three skiers.” Word is that they’re “likely buried” under the avalanche.
Dangerous conditions “have so far stymied recovery operations.” Locating the remains isn’t nearly as difficult as recovering them.
The group’s “commercial guides used avalanche beacons.” Those are “radio tracking devices worn by skiers.” They “identify the area where the skiers were likely buried.” Getting to them is a different story. Efforts so far were unsuccessful because “they were under 40 to 100 feet of snow.”
There’s virtually no chance that any of them lived through it. As related by Austin McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Public Safety, “based on the information provided by the operator, unfortunately, we do not believe that any of the three missing persons survived.”
Waning daylight
By the time Alaska Wildlife Troopers got word of the disaster it was too late to go out searching for the missing skiers. They didn’t receive the report until 5:10 p.m. Tuesday. Troopers note “they were not able to begin recovery efforts because of waning daylight and hazardous avalanche conditions.”
That doesn’t mean there wasn’t work to be done. “Today, Troopers plan to assess the area to determine if recovery operations can safely be conducted.”
There’s a good chance the answer to that will be no. Others saw the slide begin. Reports note “witnesses saw the men deploy their avalanche air bags.” Those are inflatable vests meant to keep victims “above or near the surface.”
There was a fourth person with them who had a very lucky day. The guide operator notes that “The remote locations and relatively untouched terrain are highly coveted by experienced skiers but can also carry inherent risks.”
They have disclaimer signs up and make everyone sign a waiver. “The wilderness settings have not been groomed by ski resorts or commercial companies, meaning skiers must be prepared for obstacles like trees or sudden avalanches.”
Nobody thinks things like that will happen to them but the National Avalanche Center says it’s common. “Each winter, between 25 to 30 people die in avalanches in the U.S.“
