4 Skiers Killed, 4 Injured By Avalanche

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An avalanche killed four skiers and injured four others Saturday in a popular recreation area, making it one of the deadliest avalanches in Utah history, authorities said. The Unified Police Department told local media that it was alerted to the avalanche about 11:40 a.m. after receiving a faint distress call from an avalanche beacon in Millcreek Canyon. The skier-triggered avalanche swept up eight people in their early twenties to late thirties who were in two groups touring the backcountry, Unified Police Sgt. Melody Cutler told the Salt Lake Tribune. The avalanche took place at an elevation of 9,800 feet (2,987 meters). It had a depth of 2.5 feet (0.7 meters) and a width of 250 feet (76 meters). All eight skiers had avalanche beacons, the department told the KSTU TV station. The survivors were able to dig themselves out of the snow and ice, but their medical conditions are unknown, the department said. The survivors were able to find and dig out the other four, but they had already died, the department added. Search and rescue teams from several agencies are working to recover the bodies. The victims’ names have not yet been released.