LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah, May 10, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Officials have recovered the bodies and identified the two skiers buried in an avalanche Thursday near Lone Peak Summit.
Andrew Cameron, 23, of Utah, and Austin Mallet, 32, of Montana, were caught with another skier in a remote area of Little Cottonwood Canyon about 10:15 a.m. Thursday, according to the Unified Police Department.
“Losing loved ones suddenly is always tragic. Our hearts are with the loved ones that Austin and Andrew left behind,” Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said.
One of the skiers was able to dig himself out of the avalanche, and was hoisted off the mountain by rescue crews and taken to an area hospital, Rivera said.
The man, who was not identified, was released from the hospital the same day, according to UPD.
“[He] had a lot of information to give to our search and rescue, and it did help in locating these two deceased individuals this morning,” Rivera said.
Recovery efforts were called off about 4 p.m. Thursday due to unsafe weather conditions.
Five teams returned to the area about 4 a.m. Friday and hoisted the men’s bodies from the mountain about 6 a.m., according to UPD.
The three men began their journey about 5 a.m. Thursday at Hidden Valley Park. The avalanche was triggered about five hours into their backcountry trek, UPD said in a news release.
All three men were experienced in backcountry skiing and were well-equipped for the trek, according to UPD, adding that they had avalanche beacons with them.
“Mother Nature can be unpredictable,” Rivera said. “It is uncommon to have avalanche-related deaths this late in the season. For the adventure enthusiasts in our community, be mindful of the weather and snow conditions as you explore canyons. For anyone seeking to enjoy the spring beauty of the canyons, pay attention to both snow and runoff. We hope that everyone will enjoy the breathtaking beauty of our outdoor areas safely.”
The skiers had been ascending a slope known as Big Willow Aprons and were near the top when the avalanche occurred, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.
The men had switched form skiing to boot packing at the time of the avalanche, and the man in the lead was caught, carried downhill and partially buried. That man was able to self-extricate, the Utah Avalanche Center reported.
Cameron and Mallet were were caught, carried downhill and fully buried.
The Utah Avalanche Center said the avalanche was 250 feet wide, 500 feet long and 2 feet deep.
Due to the challenges presented by the location of the avalanche, UPD requested assistance from Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, the Draper and Sandy fire departments, U.S. Forest Service and Wasatch Backcountry Rescue.
Utah Department of Public Safety and Intermountain Life Flight helicopters assisted in the search and rescue operations.
“I want to thank all those who helped us over the last two days,” Rivera said. “A very special thank you to the volunteer members of the Salt Lake County Search and Rescue Team, who perform these difficult operations because they care about our community.”
