Avalanche kills snowmobiler outside of Yellowstone National Park, officials say

A snowmobiler became caught in an avalanche and died near Yellowstone National Park, officials said.

The snowmobiler, identified as Bradie Becker, was riding outside of West Yellowstone, Montana, on Sunday, Feb. 6, when an avalanche carried them away, the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center said.

The 30-year-old from Iowa was carried into trees during the avalanche, officials said.

“Life-saving efforts on-scene were unsuccessful,” Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center said on Facebook. “Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the rider.”

Becker died of asphyxiation, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office said. He was wearing a helmet and an avalanche airbag.

An avalanche can happen quickly and catch people by surprise. Avalanches can move between 60 mph and 80 mph and typically happen on slopes of 30-45 degrees, according to officials.

They can be triggered by a change in the weather or by people recreating on a slope, officials said.

Skiers, snowmobilers and hikers can set off an avalanche when a layer of snow collapses and starts to slide down the slope.

In the U.S., avalanches are most common from December to April, but they can happen at any time if the conditions are right, National Geographic reported.

At least nine people in the U.S. have died in avalanches this season as of Feb. 7, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

In December, two Idaho teens were killed when an avalanche buried them near Relay Ridge west of Driggs.

“The reporting party advised the sheriff’s office that one person was riding a snowmobile and another was skiing at the time the avalanche occurred,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

West Yellowstone is home to the national park’s west entrance.

In Colorado, two snowshoers and their dog were found dead in January after they were buried in avalanche debris. A backcountry skier was also buried in an avalanche on Christmas Eve west of Fort Collins.

This story was originally published February 7, 2022 at 11:31 AM with the headline "Avalanche kills snowmobiler outside of Yellowstone National Park, officials say."