Skis seen in snow lead rescuers to man’s body buried in avalanche, Alaska rangers say
A Denali National Park and Preserve worker was buried in an avalanche while backcountry skiing alone, rangers said.
His skis were spotted in the debris, leading rescuers to his body.
Eric Walter triggered an avalanche at about 1 p.m. May 4 on a north-facing slope by Jenny Creek, the National Park Service said in a May 5 news release.
Someone saw the avalanche and reported it to rangers.
Once rangers reached the area, they found an empty truck, park officials said.
Then rangers used a scope to look at the area where the avalanche happened, spotting two skis and an orange bag. One ski was vertical, with another lying flat on the snow.
Rescuers reached his body by helicopter to find him already dead, rangers said.
“Our thoughts are with Eric’s family in this challenging time,” park superintendent Brooke Merrell said in the release. “We are also incredibly grateful for the professional and compassionate response of our Talkeetna mountaineering team.”
Walter was part of the Denali Dispatch’s Alaska Regional Communications Center.
He brought “radio-based safety support and dispatch services for National Park Service operations across Alaska,” park officials said in the release.
What to know about avalanches
Avalanches happen quickly and catch people by surprise. They can move between 60 and 80 mph and typically happen on slopes of 30-45 degrees, according to experts.
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 24 people in the U.S. have died in avalanches this season, not including this latest death, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
People heading into snow should always check the local avalanche forecast at Avalanche.org, officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, and have an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel ready.
“Emergency services are usually too far away from the scene of an avalanche, and time is important,” Simon Trautman, a national avalanche specialist, said. “A person trapped under the snow may not have more than 20 or 30 minutes. So, in a backcountry scenario, you are your own rescue party.”
If an avalanche breaks out, it’s best to move diagonal to the avalanche to an edge, Trautman said.
“Try to orient your feet downhill so that your lower body, not your head, takes most of the impact,” officials said. “You may also get into a tight ball as another way to protect your head.”
This story was originally published May 5, 2023 at 2:36 PM with the headline "Skis seen in snow lead rescuers to man’s body buried in avalanche, Alaska rangers say."
