Bodies found of skiers killed in avalanche
SANDY, Utah — Search crews Friday recovered the bodies of two backcountry skiers who were swept away and buried by an avalanche in the mountains outside Salt Lake City a day earlier, officials said.
The men — 23-year-old Andrew Cameron of Utah and 32-year-old Austin Mallet of Montana — were killed in the snowslide Thursday morning in the area of Lone Peak in the Wasatch Range southeast of the city.
Search teams uncovered the men’s bodies Friday morning, Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said. The bodies were brought off the mountain via helicopter and taken to the medical examiner’s office, Sgt. Aymee Race with the Unified Police Salt Lake City said.
Storms on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday brought up to 3 feet of heavy, wet snow and strong winds to the area.
“And that instantly ramped up the avalanche danger,” said Craig Gordon, an avalanche forecaster with the U.S. Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center.
“The other factor that complicated weather and snow conditions is that it’s spring and weather patterns and weather systems can change very quickly in the mountains,” he said. A day could start off sunny and clear before giving way to clouds or snow or strong winds.
“And all of these factors can influence the dynamic nature of the snowpack and can escalate the avalanche danger,” Gordon said Friday.
The three men were climbing up a ridge on a slope called Big Willow Aprons and were near the top when the slide was unintentionally triggered, the avalanche center said in its preliminary report.
The first climber was carried downhill on the right side of the ridge and partially buried. He was able to dig himself out, call for help and was rescued by midday Thursday. Race said they would not be releasing his name.
Cameron and Mallet were swept away on the left side of the ridge and buried, the center said.
“We know that’s hard on the families when you have to leave somebody up there,” said Alan Bergstrom, one of eight rescuers who recovered the bodies.
Family members of the two victims were at the search staging area near Sandy on Thursday and Friday, Rivera said.
“There are situations such as today where we may know the people that are on the mountain,” making the recovery effort difficult for searchers as well, said Bergstrom, a squad leader with the Salt Lake County Sheriff ’s Search and Rescue team.
Crews “were able to dig pretty quickly and get ’em out and get back on the helicopters,” Bergstrom said. “But as we were finishing up, the winds were picking up and the helicopter was starting to have a little bit of trouble judging the landing spot.”
The three men, who were friends, didn’t plan to ski down the face where the avalanche occurred, but they planned to ski in several other locations on Thursday, Gordon said.
“This is very serious terrain. It’s steep. It’s north-facing. The crew that was up there would have to be experienced,” Gordon said Thursday.