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SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah – The body of a skier who buried in an avalanche on Saturday in the backcountry of Park City was recovered.
Kurt Damschroder, 57 in Park City, was caught in the slide that was triggered by him and a friend while skiing in an area known as Square Top.
“From what I understand, he was buried in four to five feet of snow, so they were able to get him out around 11 o’clock. [Sunday] morning, ”Lt. Andrew Wright said with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
The Summit County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, along with the Utah Department of Public Safety, had to call off recovery efforts on Saturday night due to dangerous snow conditions.
“[Sunday] morning our search and rescue team with the help of the helicopter from the Utah Department of Public Safety, they met at 7 am, ”Wright said.
In order to safely reach the scene of the recovery effort, the teams had to perform avalanche mitigation, which created additional slips.
Summit County Sheriff’s Office
Summit County Sheriff’s Office
“This included taking explosives from the DPS helicopter and dropping them in the area,” Wright added. “They actually triggered quite a few slides.”
The Square Top area is located just outside the village limits of Park City Mountain Canyons.
“Over the years this is an area known to be very lethal,” Wright said. “If someone enters the area and triggers an avalanche, it’s usually not a great result.”
Damschroder, an avid outdoorsman and an experienced skier, had all the necessary equipment for the backcountry.
“He had a beacon, he had a probe, he had a shovel, but since you know a lot of snow was falling, you are at the mercy of the weight of that snow and the fast movement,” Wright added. “I understand that brought him down quite far. Several hundred meters, that’s what was described to me by our investigators.
Damschroder was skiing in the area with a friend, who was able to dig him up about 15 minutes after the slide started.
“He put in life-saving efforts for over an hour until he finally had to leave the area because of the safety… of the risk,” Wright said.
“Our hearts and prayers go out with Kurt’s girlfriend and family,” the Summit County Sheriff’s Office wrote Sunday afternoon.
This is the second fatality from an avalanche in Utah during the 2020-2021 winter season. Earlier this month, Kevin Jack Steuterman, 31, of Clinton was caught up and buried while snowboarding in the Dutch Draw area, also close to Park City Mountain Canyons Village.
Wright encouraged those interested in cross-country skiing or snowboarding to check the daily forecasts from the Utah Avalanche Center before heading out.
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