Two skiers died and one was rescued after they were caught in an avalanche on Thursday in the mountains outside Salt Lake City in the United States, following several days of spring snowstorms, AP reports, citing authorities, UNN writes.
Details
A rescue team arrived in the area in the morning after reports of an avalanche near Lone Peak on the Vosatch Range southeast of Salt Lake City, said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. According to Rivera, one of the skiers who managed to get out of the snow was rescued and taken to the hospital. She said she believes he called for help. Officers spoke with him at the hospital to get more information about what happened, the sheriff said.
Rescuers flew a helicopter over the area Thursday afternoon and confirmed that two other skiers were dead, Rivera said. They are two men, aged 23 and 32. Their names have not been released, but their families have been notified, the sheriff said.
According to Rivera, conditions were not safe enough to go to the site on Thursday, and crews planned to go out Friday morning if the weather improved.
The site of the avalanche, Lone Peak, is one of the highest peaks in the Vosatch Range, which towers over Utah's capital city.
Addendum
These deaths bring the number of avalanche fatalities in the U.S. this winter to at least 15, which is less than the average of about 30 people killed in avalanches each year.
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