Avalanche
4 backcountry skiers/riders were caught in an avalanche on the south side of 11,331′ Pfiefferhorn peak near Salt Lake City, UT today.
2 of the skiers/riders were injured in the avalanche – one a suspected broken ankle the other a suspected broken leg.
The avalanche danger was rated as MODERATE in the area where the avalanche occurred today.
Search & Rescue is working on a way of rescuing the 4 as we write this.
The stranger skiers/riders cannot be reached by ground as avalanche conditions are too severe for rescuers right now.
Strong winds are currently preventing a rescue by air.
Search & Rescue has dropped care packages with food, water, blankets to the stranded skiers/riders.
Seargent Spencer Cannon of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office gives the full scenario below:
“We got a call a little after 11am today, a 911 call, from 4 people who were up near Pfiefferhorn peak which is a peak that is right about on the line of Salt Lake County and Utah County. They’re down on the south side which is in Utah county. They got caught up in an avalanche. None of them were buried by it but 2 of them did sustain relatively serious injuries. One of them a possible broken ankle and the other a possible broken leg. They’re not in a position where they can get themselves out obviously with the 2 that are injured. Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office did send a couple people in by snowmobile but the Utah Avalanche Center said the conditions in the area they’d have to cross to get to these folks too severe with risk of other avalanches so they have been canceled. We do have the Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter here as well as a helicopter with Lifeflight and we’re trying to work out a plan how we can get people to them maybe hoist them out or land and take them to the helicopter and we’re working on that right now. They have dropped a couple of care packages to the group that will contain things like protein bars and granola bars and things like that, water, Gatorade, maybe a little bit of food and some blankets. Otherwise, they’re doing ok except for the injuries. One of the real difficult things is that the pilots are telling us that the wind conditions are causing some difficult conditions as well. We’re in the process of working on a plan that can help get these people out in the quickest way possible and get the 2 the medical attention they need.”
– Sgt. Spencer Cannon with the Utah County Sheriff’s office
