Latest news with #Girdwood-based
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
3 skiers presumed dead after being buried in a large avalanche in Alaska
Snowy mountains in Alyeska, Alaska, located about three miles away from the town of Girdwood. (Photo credit: Getty Images) Three heli-skiers are presumed dead after they were caught in an avalanche Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday in a statement. The large avalanche buried the skiers at about 3:30 p.m. local time near Girdwood, about 40 miles southwest of Anchorage. "Guides from the commercial heli-skiing operation that the group was with immediately attempted to locate the three skiers," troopers wrote. "Using avalanche beacons, the guides identified a probable area where skiers were buried between 40 feet and nearly 100 feet deep. The guides were unable to recover the three skiers due to the depth." "...Unfortunately, we do not believe that any of the three missing persons survived the avalanche," Trooper spokesman Austin McDaniel told Alaska Public Media adding that the heli-skiing flight was operated by Girdwood-based Chugach Powder Guides. The Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center indicated a significant avalanche risk in the area on Tuesday for elevations above 1,000 feet. The forecast highlighted the potential for human-triggered avalanches due to up to 2 feet of snow resting on a frost layer, which had accumulated additional snow from windy conditions. Because of the significant avalanche risk and limited daylight, troopers called off recovery operations Tuesday and returned Wednesday to determine whether the skiers could be safely recovered. Their names have not yet been released. The deaths mark the 16th, 17th and 18th avalanche deaths in the United States during the 2024-2025 winter season, according to the National Avalanche Center. Avalanches kill more people in National Forests than any other natural hazard, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Each winter, 25 to 30 people die in avalanches in the U.S., and nearly all of these deaths occur in National Forests.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Search underway in Alaska for backcountry skiers believed to be buried in avalanche, officials say
An avalanche in the Alaska backcountry buried three skiers under a layer of snow that is estimated to be up to 100 feet deep, Alaska State Troopers reported on Wednesday. The group was heliskiing Tuesday afternoon near Girdwood, a skiing resort town in Alaska, which is about 40 miles south of Anchorage. Alaska State Troopers were notified that there was an avalanche later that afternoon, and are investigating as weather and avalanche conditions allow. However, Austin McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Troopers, told the Associated Press that 'based on the information provided by the operator, unfortunately, we do not believe that any of the three missing persons survived the avalanche.' If the three missing skiers are confirmed dead, this would mark the deadliest avalanche in the U.S. since February 2023, when three members of a Korean climbing group were killed in a slide in Washington's Cascade Mountains. According to the National Avalanche Center, 25 to 30 people die in avalanches in the U.S. every winter; the biggest risks are in Colorado, Utah and Idaho. Alaska Public Media reported that the skiers were with Girdwood-based heliskiing company Chugach Powder Guides, which sent guides in helicopters to try to locate the missing skiers on Tuesday afternoon. '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,' McDaniel told the AP. '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.' The Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center issued a warning Tuesday that there was considerable avalanche threat in the area at elevations over 1,000 feet. The said of the missing skiers, 'We are sorry to report an avalanche resulted in multiple fatalities in the west fork of the Twentymile River yesterday afternoon.' Heli-skiing is backcountry skiing where guests take a helicopter to the top of a mountain — rather than a chairlift — or a remote area to ski or snowboard down. A common misconception is that skiers have to jump from a helicopter to ski, which is not the case, as the helicopter lands on the top of the mountain. Chugach Powder Guides describes itself as one of the 'original heli ski operators in Alaska' since 1997.
