An avalanche in Dutch Draw just outside the Park City Ski Resort in Park City, UT killed a 31-year-old man from Clinton, Utah today near Park City Resort in Utah.
Today’s deadly avalanche happened in Dutch Draw, is the exact same location where a snowboarder was killed in 2019 when he exited Park City Ski Resort through a backcountry gate near the 9990 Chair. According to Summit County Sheriff’s Lt. Andrew Wright who spoke with KSL News, Dutch Draw is an area that frequently avalanches.
It’s most likely that the person that died in the avalanche today did not have any avalanche gear since it took search and rescue so long to find him.
This was the 6th avalanche death of the 2020/21 winter season in the USA including 4 avalanche deaths in Utah and 1 in Wyoming.
Park City Ski Resort, UT trail map
Summit County, UT Sheriff’s Office Press Release:
AVALANCHE DEATH – On January 8, 2021 at 10:09am Summit County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an avalanche that occurred in the backcountry, in an area known as Dutch Draw. This area is located outside resort boundaries near Park City Mountain Canyons Village. The caller said she witnessed her boyfriend, a 31-year-old male from Clinton, Utah, attempt to snowboard down the steep backcountry terrain. The man triggered an avalanche – unfortunately, he was caught in the avalanche.
Many resources were deployed for the rescue. Summit County Search & Rescue, Park City Mountain Ski Patrol, Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter, Park City Fire District, and University of Utah AirMed assisted in the rescue and recovery. With the assistance of DPS helicopter, avalanche control measures took place to make it safer for rescue personnel to get into the area. Rescue personnel were transported by snow machines into the area of the avalanche.
At 2:29pm rescuers, with the help of a Park City Mountain Ski Patrol avalanche dog, located the male at the toe of the avalanche, approximately two feet below the surface. The avalanche was estimated to be 50 feet wide with a 200-foot vertical drop.
The Summit County Sheriff’s Office offers our sincere condolences to the family, girlfriend, and friends of the decedent. The name of the male will not be released until family members have received proper notification of his passing. We appreciate the help of so many volunteers, professionals, and agencies who worked diligently to find the male.
Site of the avalanche death today. image: summit country sheriff’s office utahClose up shot of the deadly avalanche today. Photo: Mark Whiteimage: CAIC (not updated yet to include UT avalanche death today
Backcountry
Avalanche
