Stevens Pass avalanche: Three dead and eight missing
- Three men including former pro-skier died at resort near Seattle
- Snowboarder plunged to his death in separate accident
- 8 people reported missing have now been found
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:03 AM on 20th February 2012
Four people were killed in two separate avalanches near Washington state ski resorts today.
Three skiers died when an avalanche triggered near Stevens Pass, in the Cascade Mountains northeast of Seattle, just after noon today.
Jim Jack, a Freeskiing World Tour head judge, Stevens Pass marketing director Chris Rudolph and John Brenan were confirmed as the men who died by ESPN. All three lived in Leavenworth, Washington.
Experienced: Former competitive skier Jim Jack (left) and marketing director Chris Rudolph (right) were killed in an avalanche in the Cascade Mountains, near Seattle
The avalanche swept the experienced skiers about a quarter-mile down a canyon but a fourth skier who was with them was saved by a safety device.
Sgt West said the deaths of three men, all reported to be in their thirties and forties, occurred in an out-of-bounds area near the local ski resort.
Three groups of skiers - 13 people in total - were making their way through a foot and a half of fresh snow when the avalanche triggered.
All were buried to some extent, but the men who died were swept 1,500 feet down a chute in the Tunnel Creek Canyon area.
Most of the other skiers, all well-equipped, were able to free themselves and rushed to dig out the victims. They performed CPR on the three men to no avail, police said in a statement.
Terror on the mountain: Four men died in two separate avalanches in the Cascade Mountains near Seattle
Victims: King County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Bedker speaks about three skiers who died in an avalanche near the Stevens Pass area in the Cascade Mountains, Washington
Rescue effort: Ajai Sehgal, with King County Search and Rescue, works near Stevens Pass. The sheriff's office reported the deaths occurred in an out-of-bounds area at the ski resort in the Cascade Mountains
The fourth female skier who was swept down the mountain appeared to have been saved by the avalanche safety device she was wearing.
Such devices include wearable airbags that can be deployed to help a person float atop an avalanche rather than being buried underneath it, or inflatable bags that create space between a person's mouth and the snow.
'Most of the people involved in this were well-known to the ski community up here, especially to the ski patrol. It was their friends who they recovered.'
Chris Bedker, mountain search and rescue
It wasn't immediately known which device the woman had, said Deputy Chris Bedker of the sheriff's search-and-rescue unit.
Deputy Bedker said: 'Most of the people involved in this were well-known to the ski community up here, especially to the ski patrol. It was their friends who they recovered.'
A 41-year-old Seattle man was also killed in an avalanche at the Alpental ski area while snowboarding out-of-bounds with friends.
Sgt West said: 'What the witnesses say is... he started his own avalanche and the avalanche swept him down the hill and over a cliff, which was about a 500-foot fall.'
Passion: Jim Jack showing off his impressive skills as a professional free-skier
Disaster: The sheriff's office reported that the deaths occurred in an out-of-bounds area at Steven's Pass ski resort in the Cascade Mountains
Mr Jack spoke to ESPN in November about the risks involved in free skiing, a sport he had first competed in and then become a judge.
He said: 'Our events crown the best overall skier over a series of days and multiple runs. We do not want to find ourselves rewarding or encouraging dangerous or uncalculated decisions in skiing.'
Eight people who were initially reported missing have now been found, according to the Seattle PI.
Washington State patrol trooper Keith Leary said the snow came down on a road two miles from the Stevens Pass resort and ten miles from the town of Skykomish. Search and rescue crews were at the scene.
The Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center today issued a warning for high avalanche danger for areas above 5,000 feet.
The Stevens Pass resort website reported that 14 inches of snow fell over night. The resort offers courses in avalanche awareness and how to recognise dangerous terrain.
Warning: The Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center had issued a precaution for the area earlier today
The resort in the Cascade Mountains sits on the edge of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee national forests.
The resort has more than a 1,000 acres for skiing and includes 37 major runs. It is popular for cross-country and downhill skiing, as well as snowshoeing and backpacking.
Four people disappeared in vicious storms while hiking and climbing on Mount Rainier in Washington last month.
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