Avalanche
UPDATE: 4/3/20 – 0400 PT – Teton County Coroner Brent Blue has identified the victim of Wednesday’s avalanche on Taylor Mountain as 28-year-old Trace Jordan Carrillo, of Dubois, WY.
Trace graduated from the University of Utah in 2016 and worked as an intern for Utah Avalanche Center for a period of time.
Searchers with a rescue dog found his body under 2 feet of snow Thursday. An official cause of death was pending.
According to Teton County Search & Rescue Supervisor Cody Lockhart, the body of the snowboarder who went missing yesterday after being buried by an avalanche on the south side of Taylor Mountain, WY (just off Teton Pass) was found today at about 11:30 am MT.
The snowboarder was declared dead at the scene.
We are getting reports that the deceased was a 28-year-old Jackson resident.
The avalanche danger was rated as “Moderate” at the time of the avalanche.
It’s unclear at this time why the deceased snowboarder’s avalanche beacon wasn’t working at the time of the accident.
It may be possible that he wasn’t wearing an avalanche beacon or that it was damaged while in the avalanche.
According to Lockhart, it was a rescue dog from Jackson Hole ski resort who located the body under 2-feet of snow about halfway up Taylor Mountain.
Due to continued avalanche danger in the area, a helicopter was employed to bomb the mountain and clear a path for rescuers to work more safely today.
“This is a tragedy. My heart goes out to his friends and family.” – Teton County Search & Rescue Supervisor Cody Lockhart
Teton County Search & Rescue attempted to find the snowboarder yesterday evening but the search was called off due to darkness and resumed this morning at dawn.
Around 40 people and a team of search dogs were involved in this recovery operation.
“UPDATE: Currently, 40 people from TCSAR, WYDOT, and JHMR, along with a team of search dogs, are working Taylor Mountain in search for a missing person believed to have been buried by an avalanche yesterday. Though we appreciate offers to help from the community, the teams currently have ample resources and are following organizational procedure.
If you really want to help, please stay away from Taylor Mountain, avoid Teton Pass today, and be kind to one another. Save your judgment and online vitriol for another time. Our volunteers are diligently working the slide path, and we appreciate your concern. More updates to follow.
” – Teton County Search & Rescue, 9:37am MT 4/2/20
Yesterday evening and this morning, the Teton County Search & Rescue politely asked backcountry skiers and riders to avoid Teton Pass today so that they could safely work on the recovery of the missing avalanche victim.
That ask was not heeded as many backcountry skiers flocked to Teton Pass today despite the warning to the dismay of TGR’s Todd Jones.
The Bridger-Teton National Forecast Avalanche Center is reporting that the avalanche was triggered by the 2nd snowboarder on the slope.
Observer Notes: An avalanche occurred on Mt. Taylor at 2:45 pm. Teton County Search & Rescue volunteers responded. One person is missing and believed to be buried. Rescue operations will resume in the morning. The Coal Creek parking will be closed. The public should avoid the Mt. Taylor area. The slide was reported to have been triggered by the second snowboarder on the slope. The crown of this soft slab avalanche was 2 to 3 feet at its deepest point with an average depth of 6 to 8 inches. Exact location has not yet been verified.
- Bridger-Teton National Forecast Avalanche Center, 4/1/20
The deceased snowboarder’s name has not been released yet.
This was the 20th avalanche fatality in the USA this season.
The USA averages 28 avalanche deaths per season.
