Wyoming Avalanche Leaves One Dead, One Injured

An avalanche in Wyoming has left one person dead and another injured, according to a statement from Teton County Search & Rescue (TCSAR) posted to Facebook.

Just before noon on Saturday, Jan. 4, the search and rescue team was notified via iPhone satellite text of “a known avalanche burial” at Togwotee Pass. According to the statement, initial reports indicated that the avalanche was triggered around the Breccia Cliffs by four skiers on the summit's skin track, the device used to ascend the mountain. “The avalanche partially buried one skier and fully buried another. The partially buried skier sustained a lower leg injury,” the statement explained.

TCSAR crews had difficulty reaching the site due to weather, with separate teams on helicopters and snowmobiles both forced to abandon the mission due to the increasingly dangerous conditions. Tragically, the buried skier perished before rescuers made it to the site.

Related: Why Avalanche Safety Education Is More Important Than Ever

When they finally arrived nearly four hours after receiving the emergency text, the statement said that rescuers “began to apply treatment to the injured skier and remaining members of the party." While one group recovered the deceased skier and began their transport down the mountain via a ski sled, a separate crew skied the injured person in a litter to Grand Teton National Park, where a waiting ambulance transported them to the hospital.

TCSAR said the incident “serves as an important reminder of how much longer a mission can take when the helicopter is grounded, and is another factor to consider in your backcountry planning should an accident occur.”

The rescue outfit implored anyone attempting to use the iPhone satellite emergency text function to “please include the nature of your emergency, mechanism of injury, and number of people in your party." That information can help first responders develop a rescue strategy in the event of an emergency.