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Four skiers died in an avalanche in Mill Creek Canyon on Saturday, making it one of the deadliest slides in state history.
The avalanche triggered by skiers swept through eight people in their early twenties and late thirties who were in two groups touring the backcountry, Unified Police Sgt. Said Melody Cutler. All eight were swept away by the avalanche.
All of the skiers wore avalanche safety gear, including beacons, shovels and probes, Cutler told the Salt Lake Tribune. The UPD first received a distress call at 11:40 a.m., Cutler said. The four survivors were able to dig up the skiers who died, she added, but the bodies may not be recovered until Sunday morning, depending on the chances of further slips and the daylight.
The four who survived had minor injuries and are off the mountain.
Drew Hardesty of the Utah Avalanche Center said the victims were experienced skiers well known in the community, calling their deaths a terrible tragedy.
The avalanche occurred near Wilson Peak, said Hardesty, on the ridge line between Big Cottonwood Canyon and Mill Creek Canyon. He said it happened on steep north-facing terrain.
The Utah Avalanche Center had rated the avalanche risk in the area as “high.” Hours before the slide, he tweeted a warning that there was “high danger.” Large natural avalanches during the night. Dangerous avalanche conditions. Keep it low. “
Two other people have died in avalanches in Utah this year, a snowboarder on January 8 and a skier on January 30. Twenty people have died across the country during the 2020-2021 season, including 16 skiers or snowboarders. Utah Avalanche Center forecaster Toby Weed told FOX-13 on Friday that 10 people across the United States have not returned from the backcountry to see their families because they triggered a deadly avalanche.
The UPD has closed Mill Creek Canyon for recreation at least until Sunday, FOX reported, but restaurants and businesses in the canyon will still be open.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said on Twitter that rescue teams are on site.
Four is the highest number of avalanche fatalities in the Wasatch Mountains since 1914, according to the Utah Avalanche Center. This would also match the state record. Four people were killed in an avalanche triggered by a skier at Gold Basin near Moab in 1992.
Three died in an avalanche that swept through 15 people in Provo Canyon near Sundance Resort in 2003.
Governor Spencer Cox tweeted that the dead are a terrible tragedy. He said people should use extreme caution due to the current avalanche conditions.
In a KCPW report on Feb. 3, Utah Avalanche Center forecaster Trent Meisenheimer said the center had reported more than 50 avalanches in the past eight days.
This developing story will be updated. FOX-13 is a reporting partner of The Salt Lake Tribune.
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