Alaska Heliskier caught in huge avalanche - three dead
Three skiers have died in an avalanche accident in the US state of Alaska.
06.03.2025, 06:09
06.03.2025, 06:27
dpa
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- Three heliskiers have died in an avalanche accident in the US state of Alaska.
- Tour guides were trying to locate the skiers and identified an area where they are believed to have been buried at a depth of 12 to 30 meters.
The group had already been caught in an avalanche while heliskiing on Tuesday, the police announced on Wednesday. The heli-skiing provider did attempt a rescue, but this was aborted due to the depth of the snow. The tour guides attempted to locate the skiers and identified an area where they were likely buried to a depth of 12 to 30, police spokesman Austin McDaniel told the AP. "Based on the information provided by the operator, unfortunately we do not believe any of the three missing individuals survived the avalanche," McDaniel said.
The three victims, all male, were traveling with a guide on a slope known to the heli-skiing company, Tracey Knutson, spokeswoman for operator Chugach Powder Guides, told local media. A fourth person in the group was not caught in the avalanche.
The avalanche occurred early Tuesday evening near the Girdwood ski resort, around 64 kilometers south of the city of Anchorage, according to police. Emergency crews wanted to try to reach the remote location on Wednesday, but this was initially not possible due to weather conditions, McDaniel wrote in a message to the AP.
Heliskiers use helicopters to reach mountains in remote areas where there are no ski lifts. If the deaths are confirmed, it would be the deadliest avalanche in the US in two years.