Months After Avalanche in Alaska’s Chugach, Recovery of 3 Heli-Skiers Remains Impossible

More than six months after a devastating avalanche in Alaska’s Chugach Mountains claimed the lives of three heli-skiers, recovery teams have been unable to bring their bodies home. The slide struck March 4 near the west fork of the Twentymile River outside Girdwood, burying three longtime friends beneath an estimated 40 to 100 feet of snow. The victims were identified as David Linder, 39, of Florida; Charles Eppard, 39, of Montana; and Jeremy Leif, 38, of Minnesota. The men grew up together in Minnesota and were skiing with Girdwood-based Chugach Powder Guides when the avalanche occurred.

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Chugach Avalanche Recovery Efforts

Troopers and volunteer rescuers attempted recovery efforts throughout the spring and summer, but the terrain has proven impenetrable. The avalanche funneled into a steep ravine high in the mountains, compacting snow on top of a swift glacial river. “You have a very steep mountain ravine that this avalanche slid down into and compacted, high up in the mountains in an area that’s only accessible by helicopter,” troopers spokesman Austin McDaniel said in an interview with Alaska Public Media.

Guides on the scene initially located beacon signals indicating the men were trapped deep beneath the slide, but even with professional rescue teams flown in later, the depth made excavation impossible. Since then, Alaska State Troopers have continued to search by air, flying over the site at least twice a month with advanced optical sensors, APM reports. McDaniel said troopers make a point to pass over the slide path during routine flights south of Anchorage, hoping to spot anything that could guide recovery teams and ultimately bring closure to the victims’ families.

The March avalanche was one of the most severe in recent memory in the Chugach, measuring more than half a mile long and up to 100 feet deep. The Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center had warned of “considerable” danger at mid and upper elevations that day, noting a buried weak layer topped by fresh wind slabs. Even with guides, preparation, and a safety plan, the objective risks were still present and the mountain, in this case, took their lives.

For now, the families of the three skiers are still waiting. Troopers say recovery remains a priority, but the bodies of the men remained trapped. Chugach Powder Guides has not commented publicly on the avalanche.