BOISE, Idaho– A backcountry skier has died after being buried by an avalanche in Idaho, officials said.
The avalanche occurred Friday as two experienced backcountry skiers were traveling on Donaldson Peak in Idaho’s Lost River Range, the Sawtooth Avalanche Center said.
A skier triggered the slope collapse as he was descending toward where the two were going to ski. He was caught in a small avalanche, which triggered a second, larger avalanche.
The second skier used a satellite communications device to call for help, then a rescue transceiver and a probe pole to locate the first skier buried under approximately 1.5 meters of snow.
She performed CPR on the first skier after digging him up with a shovel. Search and rescue teams evacuated him, but he did not survive.
This death brings to 16 the number of avalanche deaths this winter in the United States, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. In the United States, an average of 30 people die in avalanches each year.
Avalanche safety specialists say their job has become more difficult in recent years as climate change brings extreme weather. An increasing number of skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers are also visiting backcountry areas since the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABC News
