WASATCH COUNTY, Utah – Tragedy struck in Utah on Wednesday as a sudden avalanche left a father dead.
A tragic event unfolded in Wasatch County, Utah, where first responders with Wasatch County Search and Rescue responded to a report of an avalanche in the Snake Creek area, specifically at the Big Flat location.
The slide occurred as the Utah Avalanche Center issued an avalanche warning that morning, noting that the danger could rise throughout the day and that more than 3 feet of snow could be triggered to slide.
Officials said an adult male and his young son were snowmobiling in the area when the avalanche occurred. The father was caught in the event and buried in the snow.
Avalanches account for 52% of severe weather-related deaths in Utah, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety.
Salt Lake City, UT – April 6: Evidence of a large avalanche following a strong late-season snow storm in the Stairs Gulch drainage of Big Cottonwood Canyon on Thursday, April 6, 2023 outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. A record-breaking amount of precipitation this winter in Utah has already risen the Great Salt Lake around three feet since its record low in November of 2022 and the seasons runoff has yet to start in earnest.
(James Roh for The Washington Post / Getty Images)
Upon arrival, hazardous avalanche conditions prevented rescuers from accessing the slide site. According to officials, the young boy located his father using an avalanche beacon and dug him out of the snow.
Officials credited the juvenile for his bravery and quick thinking in the situation.
AVALANCHE DANGER PROMPTS OVERNIGHT INTERLODGE AT SKI AREAS IN UTAH AMID FEET OF SNOW
The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office urges winter weather enthusiasts to check the Utah Avalanche Center website before traveling into avalanche-prone terrain, along with reviewing local forecasts, which play a crucial role.
Be sure to pack avalanche safety gear, including a transceiver, beacon, probe and shovel.
