Two men tragically lost their lives in an avalanche while exploring Washington State’s snow-covered backcountry.
On Friday, a group of four men were snowmobiling near Longs Pass Trail when an avalanche struck around 4 p.m. local time, sweeping them away.
According to the Northwest Avalanche Center, “One tourer was not buried, one was partially buried and injured, one was fully buried and killed, and one was fully buried and is presumed dead.”
The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office later identified the victims as 38-year-old Paul Markoff and 43-year-old Erik Henne. The county coroner will determine their official cause of death.
The two survivors, Ian Laing and Patrick Leslie, were able to call for help using a Garmin satellite device, a portable GPS tool with an SOS feature that works even where there is no cell service.
Rescue teams raced to the remote, snow-covered site on snowmobiles and brought the survivors to safety Friday evening.
Dangerous conditions initially prevented responders from recovering the victims’ bodies.
The following morning, helicopters and trained avalanche search dogs were deployed to recover the deceased. The two men were airlifted, while ground teams retrieved personal belongings scattered across the snow.
The group had snowmobiled 12 miles along snowy roads to reach the remote area for backcountry skiing, according to the Seattle Times. The avalanche’s exact cause remains unknown, though heavy snowfall had blanketed the region all week, the National Weather Service reported.
Since January 5, Paradise received 35 inches of snow, Mt. Baker 34 inches, Snoqualmie Pass 27 inches, White Pass 26 inches, Stevens Pass 25 inches, and Crystal Mountain 20 inches.
Washington typically records one to two avalanche-related deaths each year, Deputy Director Dallas Glass of the Northwest Avalanche Center told the Seattle Times.
“We have all these great ski areas and wonderful snowmobiling opportunities, because there are just beautiful snowy places,” he said. “But the snowy places also unfortunately come with some risk, and one of those risks is avalanches.”
