The Flathead County Sheriff’s Department has reported that a 42-year-old man’s body was recovered in Montana on Thursday.
Two brothers were backcountry skiing this past wednesday in Montana’s Jewel Basin area in the Swan Range east of Bigfork near Kalispell when they triggered an avalanche that swept one of the brothers downhill.
The man swept downhill was buried. The unburied man was unable to located the burial victim and called for rescuers to assist in the search.
Rescuers searched for the buried man until darkness, rain, and snow forced them to call off the search until Thursday morning. They were able to locate the body of the avalanche victim on Thursday afternoon.
It is unclear at this time what avalanche safety gear these men possessed at the time of the avalanche.
Our condolences to the family of the avalanche victim
This has been a dangerous avalanche season in North America.
Please do not go into the backcountry without:
1. Probe
2. Avalanche Trasceiver
3. Shovel
4. Solid knowledge of how to manage avalanche terrain
5. Partner with solid knowledge of how to manage avalanche terrain.