Three heli-skiers are missing and presumed dead after being swept up in a massive avalanche in Alaska.
According to the Alaska Department of Public Safety, the men were caught in an avalanche measuring half a mile wide at around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the Chugach Mountains near the West Fork of 20 Mile River near Girdwood.
Guides from the commercial heli-skiing operation that the group was traveling with immediately attempted to locate the three skiers using avalanche beacons, but the massive amount of snow made rescue impossible.
"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," states the report.
The Alaska Daily News reports that the men were visiting from out of state and skiing with Chugach Powder Guides. Tracey Knutson, a spokesperson for the guiding outfit, says a fourth person from the group, which was visiting from out of state, was not caught in the slide and that witnesses saw the men deploy their air bags as the avalanche began.
The incident came during considerable avalanche risk in the area, according to the Chugach Avalanche Information Center, which advised skiers to avoid wind-loaded terrain that day. The risk made recovery operations impossible on Tuesday, and poor weather conditions on Wednesday further hampered rescue efforts, preventing helicopter flights, avalanche experts, and recovery teams from assessing the slide area.
If the fatalities are confirmed, they will be the first in Alaska this year and it will be the deadliest slide in the US since an avalanche in Washington’s Cascade Mountains killed three climbers in 2023.
Heli-skiing is a guided skiing or snowboarding experience that uses a helicopter to access remote backcountry areas.
Avalanche safety
Backcountry skiing and snowboarding carry a higher risk of avalanches than resort skiing, and it's important to prepare with the right training and gear. Before embarking on any backcountry skiing, it's recommended you take an avalanche safety course where you'll learn how to read an avalanche forecast.
Require kit for avalanche terrain includes an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel, while it's worth having a Personal Locator Beacon or satellite communicator such as a Garmin InReach if you're not traveling with a guide.
If you're updating your ski kit, consider also gear that is equipped with a RECCO reflector, such as the Helly Hansen Lifa Elevation Infinity 2.0 Shell Jacket and a ski backpack with airbags.
