SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah, Feb. 9, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A snowmobiler has died after being caught in an avalanche in the East Fork of the Chalk Creek area Saturday afternoon.
The Summit County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that an alert came in to dispatch from an avalanche beacon at about 1:20 p.m., indicating someone was buried in a slide.
The man had been snowmobiling with friends and was buried in the snow for 30 to 40 minutes, while his friends worked to dig him out.
Members of the Summit County Search & Rescue team and a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter responded to assist with locating the man.
“After two friends dug him out, they began CPR and continued to administer lifesaving efforts for more than 40 minutes until a Utah DPS helicopter was able to get to the patient,” the news release said. “The male was transported by the DPS helicopter to an Evanston, Wyoming hospital where he died.”
No one else was injured in the avalanche, which is estimated to be 500 to 600 feet wide and four to 10 feet deep at the toe, according to the release.
The man has been identified as a 49-year-old from Mona, Utah. His name has not been released pending notification of all family members.
“The Summit County Sheriff’s Office offers our most sincere condolences to the family. We ask the media to respect the privacy of the family while they grieve the loss of their loved one,” the release concludes.
This is the second death this week of a snowmobiler caught in an avalanche. To read about the accident on Thursday in Southern Utah, click here.
