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SANDY, Utah -- 2 skiers were killed and 1 was injured on Thursday in a backcountry avalanche just outside of Salt Lake City that came after days of heavy spring snowstorms.
The group of three was boot-packing up a slope called Big Willow Aprons when they unintentionally triggered a slide that buried two of them completely and left one injured. The lead climber was "caught and carried downhill on the looker's right side of a ridge or fin of rock," according to the Utah Avalanche Center's Accident Report. That person was only partially buried and was able to self-extricate. The other two were "caught and carried downhill on the looker's left side of the ridge feature. Those two were fully buried and unfortunately did not survive."
While the surviving skier was rescued on Thursday, rapidly changing weather conditions put the recovery of the two deceased on hold until this morning when they were successfully recovered.
Our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragedy.