Tragic news out of Wyoming where a skier was killed and another severely injured in an avalanche accident near near Grand Teton National Park.
Initial reports indicate that the group of four was in the Breccia Cliffs area of the Tetons when they triggered the slide. Teton County Search & Rescue responded to the scene of the burial on Togwotee Pass just before noon on Saturday.
The slide occurred while the group was ascending a skin track. The avalanche partially buried one skier and fully buried another. The partially buried skier sustained a lower leg injury and the fully buried skier died.
Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center (BTAC) warns that conditions remain dangerous in the backcountry, particularly in areas with a shallow snowpack. BTAC forecasters are have investigated accident site and will publish a full report as soon as possible. A preliminary report can be found HERE.
Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and friends.
Teton County Search and Rescue Statement:
We are deeply saddened to report that a skier has died as a result of an avalanche on Togwotee Pass on Saturday, January 4, 2025. More details about the accident will emerge following an investigation by the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center.
Just before noon on Saturday, Teton County Search & Rescue was called to respond to a known avalanche burial on Togwotee Pass. The emergency alert came in via iPhone satellite text-to-911, but it was unclear whether the avalanche involved snowmobilers or skiers. For anyone using this relatively new function, please include the nature of your emergency, mechanism of injury, and number of people in your party. Including that info can help first responders efficiently develop solutions to the problems.
Initial reports indicated that a group of four was in the Breccia Cliffs area when they triggered an avalanche. As TCSAR mobilized, the team learned that it was a party of four skiers who’d triggered the slide as they were ascending a skin track. The avalanche partially buried one skier and fully buried another. The partially buried skier sustained a lower leg injury.
TCSAR responded with teams in the helicopter, on snowmobiles, and on skis. The helicopter team lifted off but returned when weather conditions did not permit an air response. The snowmobile team was also unable to reach the party of skiers due to the challenging conditions.
A team of skiers from TCSAR approached the area on skins and were able to get on scene at approximately 3:47 p.m. They began to apply treatment to the injured skier and remaining members of the party. The volunteers also worked to begin recovering the deceased skier for transport out of the backcountry. The volunteers worked into the evening, skiing the injured skier out of the backcountry in a litter to a waiting ambulance from Grand Teton National Park. The team also skied the deceased skier out via a sked. This serves as an important reminder of how much longer a mission can take when the helicopter is grounded, and is another factor to consider in your backcountry planning should an accident occur.
TCSAR extends its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased skier.
