Avalanche buries snowboarder and carries him 600 feet into Grand Teton’s Death Canyon
A snowboarder was buried after an avalanche carried him 600 feet into Death Canyon at Grand Teton National Park, officials said.
The avalanche swept the Idaho man away at about 11:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 16, the National Park Service said in a news release.
He was reported injured on the west side of Albright Peak in the Wyoming park, officials said.
As the avalanche carried him hundreds of feet, he struck multiple items before stopping against a tree, officials said.
Rescuers were able to locate the man after someone in his party called 911, and he was able to walk to the helicopter, the news release said.
The snowboarder and his two friends were flown to a landing zone near the Teton Park Road, officials said. They refused to get into the ambulance. Instead, his friends took him to a hospital.
In total, the avalanche ran 2,400 feet. It was 300 feet wide and about 1 to 5 feet deep.
“Anyone planning to recreate in the backcountry should visit the Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center at jhavalanche.org to obtain an avalanche forecast,” the release said.
This story was originally published January 18, 2023 at 6:49 PM with the headline "Avalanche buries snowboarder and carries him 600 feet into Grand Teton’s Death Canyon."
