A backcountry skier was killed yesterday afternoon about 3 p.m. northeast of Philipsburg in the Altoona Lakes area of Montana. Granite County Sheriff department is withholding the man’s name until family members were notified. The man is the fourth person to die in western Montana avalanches since Jan. 1. Including him, 22 people have died in avalanches nationwide since Dec. 26, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
Avalanche Details
Location: Altoona, about 10 miles northeast of Philipsburg, Montana
State: Montana
Date: 2014/03/10
Time: 3:00 PM (Estimated)
Summary Description: 1 skier caught and killed
Primary Activity: Backcountry Tourer
Primary Travel Mode: Ski
Killed: 1
Accident Summary
“The Granite County Sheriff’s Department reports that a man was killed by an avalanche northeast of Philipsburg on Monday afternoon. The victim was back-country skiing with friends but was the only one caught in the avalanche near Altoona, about 10 miles northeast of Philipsburg. Granite County Sheriff Scott Dunkerson says several deputies and some volunteers formed a team to attempt a rescue.That effort took hours and by the time they arrived it was too late.” – avalanche.state.co.us