Roof Avalanche Kills 2-Year-Old, Hospitalizes Two 7-Year-Olds Near Yellowstone National Park

A roof avalanche came down on three children (aged 2, 7, and 7) near Island Park, Idaho – just west of Yellowstone National Park on Friday evening.  The children were buried under several feet of snow and ice that had slid off their grandparent’s private cabin’s roof in the Mack’s Inn area of Fremont County, ID at 5:20pm on Friday.

The 3 children were airlifted to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls on Friday evening with injuries.  Sadly the 2-year-old did not survive.

It took dozens of emergency personnel over 30 minutes to locate and extract the 3 children from the roof avalanche debris on Friday evening.  Large chunks of ice and snow had fallen off the roof burying the children and making extraction very difficult.

Reports say that at least one of the children had to be revived by emergency personnel after being dug up and all three were unconscious when found.

“One of my closest friends was the first one there to start digging the kids out, and you know I mean they were working through all it was worth to try and get through seven feet of snow to get to the kids.” – Mack Inn cabin maintenance manager Mike Bogden told Local News 8

The 2-year-old died in the hospital at 10pm on Friday.

The Sheriff reported that as of Saturday morning, the two 7-year-olds were in fair condition in the hospital’s pediatric unit.

“This was a freak accident.  It was heart-wrenching for the dispatchers and EMTs and firemen and everyone who responded. Our prayers are with the kids and their families.” – Fremont County Sheriff Len Humphries

According to local Stehpen Bauchman, it’s been a huge snow year in eastern Idaho.

“We’ve had an unusual year. We’ve probably had the biggest snow year and moisture year that we’ve had in 32 years.” – cabin owner Stephen Bauchman told Local News 8