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An avalanche at an Idaho ski resort killed one person Tuesday, and rescuers dug out five others who had minor injuries, officials said.
Silver Mountain Resort confirmed the death and injuries in a Facebook post. Searchers combed through the snow with probes and rescue dogs, resort officials said.
“The staff at Silver Mountain extend their deepest sympathies to the family of the individual," the post said. “Out of respect of the person’s family and their privacy, no further details will be released at this time."
The Shoshone County Sheriff's Office said earlier that it had received reports of up to three separate avalanches on the mountain just south of the city of Kellogg in northern Idaho.
The sheriff's office said it got calls about three people possibly trapped. It later said four people had been recovered in the avalanche area, while searchers kept looking.
The avalanche happened about 11 a.m. in the Wardner Peak area, which is rated the most difficult to ski, Silver Mountain officials said.
The avalanche happened about 11 a.m. in the Wardner Peak area, which is rated the most difficult to ski, Silver Mountain officials said.
The National Weather Service issued a back-country avalanche warning that was relayed on behalf of the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center just after 8 a.m. Tuesday, and the warning was in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday.
The warning did not apply to local ski areas in the forecast region.
Mark Turner, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Spokane office, which is near the Washington-Idaho border, said the warning was prompted by recent heavy snow and wind conditions that raised the danger of an avalanche, especially in back-country areas.
Sources: USA Today, NBC
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