A snowboarder from Idaho survived after he was carried 600 feet in an avalanche at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on Monday, officials said.
The snowboarder was on the west side of Albright Peak around 11:30 a.m. when he was caught in the slide and swept downhill into Death Canyon, the National Park Service (NPS) said. The avalanche ran 2,400 feet downhill, was about 300 feet wide and varied from one to five feet deep.
Members of the rider’s group called 911 and gave the park’s search and rescue staff the man’s location.
First responders arrived by helicopter and found the injured snowboarder against a tree.
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Officials said the snowboarder struck multiple trees as the avalanche carried him 600 feet downhill into Death Canyon at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. (National Park Service)
Officials determined the snowboarder was carried approximately 600 feet and struck multiple trees on the way down before coming to rest, according to NPS.
Rescuers airlifted the victim and two uninjured members of his group to an ambulance waiting at a landing zone. The chopper returned for the remaining two rescuers and fourth member of the rider’s group waiting on the peak.
The avalanche ran a total of 2,400 feet from beginning to end, was about 300 feet wide and varied from one to five feet deep, the NPS said. (National Park Service)
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The injured man was assessed at the scene and refused additional medical care. He and his group drove themselves to St. John’s Hospital.
The Grand Teton mountain range in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, on June 13, 2019. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)
Officials said the avalanche hazard rating for the Teton forecast zone at the time of the avalanche was moderate, urging skiers and riders to always exercise caution when entering high consequence avalanche terrain.
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The names of the injured snowboarder and the other members of his group were not immediately released.
