Two killed in avalanche whereas snowmobiling as two others survive after sending SOS misery name
Two men were killed in a devastating avalanche while touring Washington State’s snow-covered backcountry.
A group of four men were snowmobiling near Longs Pass trail on Friday, when the avalanche swept them away at around 4pm local time.
‘One tourer was not buried, one was partially buried and injured, one was fully buried and killed, and one was fully buried and is presumed dead,’ the Northwest Avalanche Center said in a statement on Saturday.
The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office identified the victims as 38-year-old Paul Markoff and 43-year-old Erik Henne, and the coroner’s office will determine their cause of death.
The two survivors, Ian Laing and Patrick Leslie, used a Garmin satellite device to send a distress call to rescuers, per the sheriff’s office.
A Garmin satellite device is a small, portable GPS used in emergencies. It has an SOS feature that lets users call for help if they are injured or don’t have cell service.
Emergency responders raced on snowmobiles to the secluded, snow-covered site and rescued the two survivors Friday evening.
Four men recreating in the backcountry snow near Longs Pass in the mountains of northern Kittitas County were caught in an avalanche on Friday
Rescue teams returned Saturday morning with three trained avalanche search K9s to recover the bodies
But when responders tried to recover the bodies, dangerous conditions in the snow prevented them from continuing.
Rescue teams in helicopters, along with trained avalanche search dogs, were deployed the following morning to recover the victims’ lifeless bodies.
The chopper airlifted the two deceased men while the ground team recovered the personal items scattered in the snow.
The four men rode snowmobiles for 12 miles along snow-covered roads to reach a remote area for backcountry skiing, the Seattle Times reported.
The avalanche’s cause is unknown, but heavy mountain snowfall had swept the state all week, per National Weather Service Seattle.
Since January 5, the weather service reported 35 inches of snow at Paradise, 34 inches at Mt Baker, 27 inches at Snoqualmie Pass, 26 inches at White Pass, 25 inches at Stevens Pass, and 20 inches at Crystal Mountain.
Due to hazardous conditions, a nighttime recovery operation for the deceased was not conducted
Because of the rugged, remote terrain, air support was requested to recover the victims
Washington typically sees one to two avalanche-related deaths each year, Dallas Glass, deputy director of the avalanche center, told the outlet.
‘We have all these great ski areas and wonderful snowmobiling opportunities, because there’s just beautiful snowy places,’ he explained to the outlet.
‘But the snowy places also unfortunately come with some risk, and one of those risks is those avalanches.’
