Three skiers were likely killed when an avalanche swept them away on a remote mountain range in Alaska, authorities said Wednesday.
The Alaska State Troopers reported that a helicopter transported the three adult skiers to the remote backcountry in the Chugach Mountains near Girdwood, a skiing community situated around 40 miles to the south of Anchorage on Tuesday.
Following the avalanche that swept the skiers, the guides from the heli-skiing company accompanying the group promptly initiated search efforts to locate the trio who had gone missing, as per the troopers.
Utilizing avalanche beacons, the guides pinpointed a specific location where the skiers were presumed to be trapped under a substantial amount of snow, ranging between 40 to nearly 100 feet. The troopers mentioned that immediate retrieval of the skiers was challenging due to the significant depth at which they were buried.
The three victims, all men from out of state, were clients of Chugach Powder Guides, company spokesperson Tracey Knutson told The Associated Press. A fourth person in the group was not caught in the avalanche, she said.
The exterior of Chugach Powder Guides is shown March 5, 2025, in Girdwood, Alaska. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
Witnesses saw the men deploy their avalanche air bags — inflatable vests meant to keep avalanche victims above or near the surface, Knutson said, adding that guides on scene “immediately issued a rescue alert and initiated rescue response.”
So far this winter, avalanches have killed 15 people across the U.S. On Friday, three snowmobilers were caught in a slide that buried and killed one person and injured a second in Washington state.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
