Two skiers caught in avalanche found, bodies found

SALT LAKE COUNTY — Recovery efforts for two skiers killed when they were caught in an avalanche resumed Friday morning. The two skiers were found at 9:15 a.m. and their bodies were recovered.

UPDATE: Bodies have been found and recovered. The Salt Lake County sheriff said he will now turn the victims over to the medical examiner. Investigation in progress. @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/o08xSLXMGL

– Brianna Chavez (@bri_chavez) May 10, 2024

According to Sgt. Amy Race with the Unified Police Department had four teams boarding the DPS helicopter in addition to a ground team.

Race said they didn’t know how long it would take the ground crew to climb, but said yesterday it took them about five hours.

The goal was to recover the bodies and bring the entire team down safely.

“The information provided by the surviving skier was critical,” Race said.

There was currently no time limit on how long the recovery might take, but crews began arriving at the base of the mountain at 5:30 a.m. before ascending just before 7:00 a.m.

“Today’s weather conditions have reached a lull and are calm compared to yesterday,” said Craig Gordon of the Utah Avalanche Center.

Gordon said professionals were taking advantage of the weather window to speed up the search. The area has rugged and steep terrain, making efforts difficult.

Gordon explained that crews mitigated the avalanches late last night by placing explosives and triggering avalanches. He reminded the audience that the weather changes quickly in the mountains in the spring.

“The skiers triggered the avalanche as they were coming up the mountain, they had not yet skied down,” Gordon said.

Once the bodies are recovered and hoisted from the mountain, they will be turned over to the Utah Medical Examiner’s Office.

The two victims were ages 23 and 32, one from Utah and the other from out of state. Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said she believes both families have been notified, but their names won’t be released until the medical examiner’s office completes its investigation.

“We still have ongoing investigations, but for the most part this happened as quickly as possible today and as safely as possible,” Rivera said.