Avalanche
A California man died on Friday after being caught in an avalanche while heli-skiing in Alaska’s remote Chugach Mountains, marking another tragic incident during a period of elevated spring avalanche risk.
According to the Alaska State Troopers, 63-year-old Eric Sommer was caught in an avalanche at approximately 2:00 p.m. on March 27 while skiing near Lake George, northeast of Anchorage. The incident occurred deep in the Chugach Mountains, an area renowned for its steep terrain and world-class heli-skiing.
Guides were able to locate and extricate Sommer from the avalanche debris before transporting him by helicopter to an Anchorage-area hospital. Despite those efforts, he was later pronounced dead. Alaska State Troopers confirmed that next of kin have been notified.
A preliminary report from the National Avalanche Center similarly stated that the incident involved a guided heli-skiing client and that members of the party successfully recovered him from the slide before evacuation. A detailed report will be released soon and should give more details on the exact circumstances.
A State Trooper official told the Anchorage Daily News that the avalanche occurred roughly one mile east of Lake George, near the massive Knik Glacier. The heli-ski operation involved was identified as Silverton Mountain Guides, a Girdwood-based company that has operated in the region since 2008. Very few additional details are known at this stage, such as the size of the avalanche, the number of participants in the ski group, or whether others were caught or injured.
The fatality comes amid a well-known period of heightened avalanche danger in Alaska. According to the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center, late March through May is historically one of the most dangerous times of year in the backcountry. Snowpacks begin transitioning from winter to spring, often leaving behind persistent weak layers buried beneath more stable-looking surfaces.
The Chugach Mountains are widely regarded as one of the premier heli-ski destinations in the world, drawing skiers from across the globe. However, the combination of steep alpine terrain, maritime snowpack, and rapidly changing conditions means avalanche risk can vary significantly—even within short distances.
Friday’s incident follows several recent fatal accidents involving guided heli-skiing in Southcentral Alaska. The incident takes the number of avalanche deaths in the U.S. to 22 for the 2025-26 season.
