Utah snowmobiler killed in avalanche after being 'fully buried'

A 37-year-old antheral was killed successful an avalanche successful the Utah backcountry portion snowmobiling Monday, authorities said.

Scott Wright, from Evanston, Wyoming, was snowmobiling with a person successful the Monte Cristo Snowmobile Area adjacent the Rich County and Cache County enactment erstwhile the avalanche occurred, the Rich County Sheriff’s Office said.

Wright "was caught, carried, and afloat buried successful a ample hard slab avalanche" successful the Whiskey Hill-Beer Hill country of Curtis Creek, the Utah Avalanche Center said.

The person tried searching for Wright, but determination was nary avalanche transceiver signal, the halfway said. Unable to find his buried friend, Wright's person called 911 for help.

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A 37-year-old snowmobiler was killed successful an avalanche that occurred successful the Utah backcountry connected Monday. (Utah Department of Public Safety)

Rich County Search and Rescue launched the effort to find Wright conscionable aft 3 p.m.

The 37-year-old was caught, carried and buried successful the slide, officials said. The man's person was incapable to find him and called 911 for help. (Utah Avalanche Center)

Officials said the heavy snowfall astatine the avalanche tract prevented rescuers from uncovering Wright for astir 4 hours. Search teams yet recovered Wright’s assemblage conscionable earlier 6:30 p.m.

It was unclear however the avalanche was triggered.

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Dave Sparks, whose squad astatine Sparks Heavy Rescue helped with the search, told FOX13 Salt Lake City that the mode the descent fell made efforts "extremely complicated."

What triggered the avalanche remains unclear. (Utah Avalanche Center)

"This was a hard 1 due to the fact that the descent was really, truly big. It was 1 of the bigger ones I’ve seen," Sparks said. "There was slabs of snowfall that were 5 feet heavy by 12 feet agelong -- conscionable monster slabs of snow."

Sparks said that portion the backcountry whitethorn beryllium enticing for many, it is besides "unpredictable."

"This twelvemonth it’s unspeakable snow, immoderate of the worst snowfall I’ve ever seen," helium said.

Earlier Monday, a snowboarder in Little Cottonwood Canyon suffered insignificant injuries aft getting caught successful a abstracted avalanche, the outlet reported.

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Wright’s decease marked the archetypal avalanche fatality successful Utah this year, according to the Utah Avalanche Center. Avalanches resulted successful 4 fatalities past year, portion 2023 saw 3 deaths.