Three heli-skiers caught in a large avalanche in the Alaska backcountry are feared dead.
The skiers are believed to be buried between 40 and 100 feet deep after an avalanche near Girdwood around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said in a .
They have not been recovered yet.
Austin McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers, said in a statement Wednesday that troopers had not yet been able to assess the site.
“Based on the information provided by the operator, unfortunately, we do not believe that any of the three missing persons survived the avalanche,” he said.
Their identities will be released after family members have been notified.
The avalanche happened near the West Fork of 20 Mile River near Girdwood. State wildlife troopers were notified after 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The commercial heli-skiing operation that the group was with attempted to locate the skiers and used beacons to identify their location. Heli-skiing is a guided skiing or snowboarding experience that takes you to remote areas by helicopter.
“Due to considerable avalanche risk in this area and limited daylight, no further recovery operations were conducted on March 4th,” the public safety department said.
McDaniel said if weather and conditions allow for it, troopers plan to assess avalanche conditions from the air and then determine recovery options.
