Avalanche
A Saratoga, Wyoming, local tragically lost his life in an avalanche while snowmobiling in the southern Wyoming backcountry last Friday. The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the tragic news on Sunday.
In the early afternoon of Friday, February 8th, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office received a SPOT device emergency SOS activation in the Sierra Madre Range, southwest of Bridger Peak, in an area locally known as “Avalanche Alley.” Responding deputies were able to contact the individual who had activated the SPOT device. The individual reported that he and his snowmobile-riding partner had been caught in an avalanche.
“Two snowmobilers were riding in Haskins Creek, west of Battle Pass in the Sierra Madre range. They triggered an avalanche while riding on the lower portion of an open, east-facing slope. The avalanche broke two to eight feet deep and very wide. Both riders were caught. Rider 1 rode out of the moving debris and turned to see that Rider 2 was partially buried-critical, with his feet in the air and head below the debris. Rider 1 dug his partner free and performed CPR, but Rider 2 did not survive.”
– Preliminary report from East Wyoming Avalanche Information Exchange
Deputies were able to confirm through the reporting party that the other rider had been located but had been buried by the avalanche and was deceased.
Search and Rescue volunteers, Sheriff’s Office staff and the County Coroner responded to the area on snowmobiles and tracked rescue vehicles. The victim was located and recovered along with his snowmobile.
The deceased rider was identified as Mr. Jacob Fluty, 34. Jacob was a father, a husband, a town councilman, and a friend to many in Carbon County. He will be sorely missed, and our hearts go out to his friends and family.
If you’d like to help Jacob’s family in this extremely trying time, please visit https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/qov631 or GoFundMe.
If you or someone you know snowmobiles regularly in Carbon County, please encourage them to visit the Eastern Wyoming Avalanche Information Exchange website at https://ewyoavalanche.org/#/view/observations. This website tracks avalanche activity in the area and allows members of the public to post any avalanche observations directly to the website.
The fatality is the seventh in the US this season and the ninth in North America.
