Avalanches
UNITED STATES: Tragedy struck the skiing community last week as two separate avalanches claimed the lives of two skiers and left at least two others injured across the West and Northwest regions of the United States.
In Shoshone County, Idaho, an avalanche hit a backcountry area, resulting in the tragic death of skier Corey J Zalewski. The recovery mission carried out on Friday revealed that two other skiers, Landon E Crecelius and David R. Sittser, were caught in the avalanche but miraculously found alive amidst challenging weather conditions. Despite the rescue efforts, Corey J Zalewski’s life was lost, and condolences were extended to his family by the sheriff’s office.
Captain Seth Green, a sheriff’s office official, shared that the survivors were located near Steven’s Peak after being reached through a GPS device that allowed texting. One of the survivors reported a broken arm.
Simultaneously, on the same day, occupants of two vehicles were rescued after being trapped in an avalanche on State Highway 21 in Boise, according to the Idaho Transportation Department.
In a separate incident earlier in the week, a 66-year-old skier, Kenneth Kidd, lost his life in an avalanche at a Lake Tahoe-area ski resort in California. The incident at Palisades Tahoe, formerly Squaw Valley, involved Australian skiers Hannah Sugerman, her brother Oliver Thompson, and her partner Callum, who miraculously survived the avalanche triggered by a fierce storm.
Hannah Sugerman recounted the harrowing experience, describing the avalanche as unexpected and the snow feeling overwhelmingly heavy. The trio, caught in the landslide, managed to survive the ordeal, although three individuals were injured, and one lost their life.
