An avalanche in western Wyoming buried two skiers this weekend, killing one and injuring the other.
Teton County Search and Rescue said the fatal incident occurred Saturday afternoon at Togwotee Pass in the Breccia Cliffs area.
The two skiers were part of a group of four climbing a backcountry mountain about 20 miles east of Grand Teton National Park when they triggered an avalanche.
One skier was completely buried while the other was partially buried due to leg injuries.
OLYMPIC SNOWBOARDER SOPHIE HEDIGER, 26, DIED IN AN AVALANCHE IN SWITZERLAND
A large avalanche in western Wyoming on Togwotee Pass killed Kenneth Goff, an experienced outdoorsman, and injured another skier on January 4, 2025. (Teton County Search and Rescue)
An emergency alert was issued shortly before noon Saturday for a known avalanche burial, but it took first responders nearly four hours to arrive on scene due to weather conditions.
Teton County Search and Rescue initially deployed teams to respond by helicopter, snowmobiles and skis. The helicopter eventually returned because “conditions did not permit aerial intervention” and the snowmobile team was also unable to reach the skiers due to “difficult conditions.”
The team of skiers wearing skins – a fabric that attaches to the bottom of skis to help climb slopes – finally arrived at the party at 3:47 p.m. They treated the injured skier and used a stretcher to ski the person out of the backcountry to an ambulance.
Teton County Search and Rescue teams had difficulty reaching the group of skiers due to harsh weather conditions. (Teton County Search and Rescue)
PIONEER AMERICAN SKIER KASHA RIGBY BELIEVED DEAD IN AVALANCHE IN KOSOVO
They were also able to recover the skier’s body and used a skek to remove him from the backcountry. Teton County Coroner Brent Blue identified him as Kenneth Goff, 36, according to the Associated Press.
Goff, a native of Lander, Wyoming, was an experienced outdoorsman and worked as a nurse and with the city’s search and rescue team, according to his resume on a portfolio website.
Kenneth Goff, 36, was identified by the Teton County coroner as the skier killed in the avalanche. (Kenneth Goff / Portfolio webpage)
He had worked as a climbing instructor in various capacities since October 2011 and had taught climbing and mountaineering courses at the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander since May 2017.
Goff is the fifth person killed by an avalanche in the United States this winter.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“This serves as an important reminder of how long a mission can take when the helicopter is grounded, and is another factor to consider in your backcountry planning in the event of an accident,” wrote Teton County Search and Rescue on Facebook.
“TCSAR extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased skier.”
Fox