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Two skiers dead in avalanche in Little Cottonwood Canyon
Two skiers dead in avalanche in Little Cottonwood Canyon
Survivor attempted to rescue his two friends in “very objective-driven type of destination”
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) An Intermountain LifeFlight helicopter hoists a person before landing near Hidden Valley Park in Sandy, Thursday, May 9, 2024.
By Julie Jag | May 9, 2024, 5:59 p.m.| Updated: May 10, 2024, 1:29 a.m.
Two skiers died in an avalanche near Lone Peak Summit in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Thursday. The men were 23 and 32 years old, according to Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. She said one is from the Salt Lake City area and the other is from out of state.
A third backcountry skier was delivered to a staging area at a park off Wasatch Boulevard by a Salt Lake County Search and Rescue volunteer on hoist attached to a helicopter early Thursday afternoon. The man, wearing a lightweight pullover and ski pants, walked to an ambulance, which left without switching on its siren or lights. Rivera said late Thursday afternoon that she did not know if he had been released from the hospital.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) A Unified Police Department car parks at a staging site for a reported avalanche near Sandy, Thursday, May 9, 2024.
The survivor, whom Rivera said is also from the Salt Lake City area, and the other two men are believed to be friends. Their names are being withheld to give authorities time to notify their families.
Avalanche danger still exists in the area where the slide occurred, she said. That, combined with stormy weather, disrupted recovery efforts. Rescuers set off some explosives — similar to the precautions taken at ski resorts on a powder day — on Thursday to make the area safer for retrieving the bodies of the two skiers. Still, as rain pelted down on her, Rivera said the decision had been made to pause further efforts until Friday morning. ... Helicopters were deployed for both the rescue and recovery efforts, she added, due to the ruggedness of the terrain.
{snip}
Editor’s note, May 9, 3:36 p.m. • This article was updated to reflect that Rosie Rivera is the sheriff of Salt Lake County.
Correction: May 9, 2024, 3:36 p.m. • This article was updated with the correct information for Lone Peak access.
jjag@sltrib.com
Follow @julie_jag
Survivor attempted to rescue his two friends in “very objective-driven type of destination”
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) An Intermountain LifeFlight helicopter hoists a person before landing near Hidden Valley Park in Sandy, Thursday, May 9, 2024.
By Julie Jag | May 9, 2024, 5:59 p.m.| Updated: May 10, 2024, 1:29 a.m.
Two skiers died in an avalanche near Lone Peak Summit in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Thursday. The men were 23 and 32 years old, according to Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. She said one is from the Salt Lake City area and the other is from out of state.
A third backcountry skier was delivered to a staging area at a park off Wasatch Boulevard by a Salt Lake County Search and Rescue volunteer on hoist attached to a helicopter early Thursday afternoon. The man, wearing a lightweight pullover and ski pants, walked to an ambulance, which left without switching on its siren or lights. Rivera said late Thursday afternoon that she did not know if he had been released from the hospital.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) A Unified Police Department car parks at a staging site for a reported avalanche near Sandy, Thursday, May 9, 2024.
The survivor, whom Rivera said is also from the Salt Lake City area, and the other two men are believed to be friends. Their names are being withheld to give authorities time to notify their families.
Avalanche danger still exists in the area where the slide occurred, she said. That, combined with stormy weather, disrupted recovery efforts. Rescuers set off some explosives — similar to the precautions taken at ski resorts on a powder day — on Thursday to make the area safer for retrieving the bodies of the two skiers. Still, as rain pelted down on her, Rivera said the decision had been made to pause further efforts until Friday morning. ... Helicopters were deployed for both the rescue and recovery efforts, she added, due to the ruggedness of the terrain.
{snip}
Editor’s note, May 9, 3:36 p.m. • This article was updated to reflect that Rosie Rivera is the sheriff of Salt Lake County.
Correction: May 9, 2024, 3:36 p.m. • This article was updated with the correct information for Lone Peak access.
jjag@sltrib.com
Follow @julie_jag