Avalanche Buries at Least Three Skiers Near Anchorage, Alaska

• Three skiers were caught in an avalanche near Anchorage, Alaska.
• Their bodies are buried under up to 30 meters of snow, complicating rescue efforts.
• Severe weather has prevented emergency teams from reaching the site to recover the victims.

Three skiers who arrived by helicopter in a remote mountain area near Girdwood, Alaska, were swept away by a massive avalanche and are feared to have died, according to state authorities.

The avalanche, which left a snow accumulation comparable to the height of a ten-story building, occurred Tuesday afternoon in the Chugach Mountains.

Rescue teams were able to detect signals from the victims’ emergency devices, but the depth at which they were buried prevented their immediate recovery.

The Alaska State Police reported that due to adverse weather conditions and the high risk of additional avalanches, rescue efforts have been temporarily suspended.

Rescue Efforts After the Avalanche Hampered by Harsh Weather in Alaska

Authorities stated that the victims were part of a group of skiers using a helicopter to access the most remote slopes of the mountain range.

The guiding team from Chugach Powder Guides, the company operating the excursion, immediately activated emergency protocols and detected signals from the three missing skiers.

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Readings from their tracking devices indicated that the bodies could be buried between 12 and 30 meters beneath the surface.

However, recovery attempts were interrupted due to unstable terrain and the arrival of a storm.

According to the company, the victims were tourists from other states who had booked a heli-skiing excursion to explore the region’s slopes.

Witnesses reported that the skiers activated their avalanche airbag systems, which are designed to keep them closer to the surface, but the sheer volume of snow completely buried them.

A fourth member of the group, who was not caught in the avalanche, was the one who alerted the guides, who were nearby.

Severe weather conditions, including strong winds and persistent snowfall, prevented police aircraft from flying over the area on Wednesday.

With 172 avalanche-related deaths since 1950, Alaska is the second most deadly state in the U.S. for avalanches, surpassed only by Colorado.

Avalanche experts have warned that the Girdwood area has a dangerously weak buried snow layer, increasing the risk of further slides.

The forecast indicates that a combination of additional snowfall and strong winds will keep avalanche danger levels high in the coming days.

Authorities are urging residents and tourists to avoid steep slopes and take extreme precautions when engaging in any mountain activities.

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