Authorities stated early on Friday morning that two men who were caught in an avalanche in Idaho have been rescued by emergency response teams, and the third man is thought to be dead.
The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office initiated a rescue effort at approximately 2:53 p.m. Thursday, when its office received a Garmin GPS alert of a possible fatality following an avalanche near Steven’s Peak, in Shoshone County, Idaho, close to the Montana border, officials said.
The men were saved from a location more than 90 miles from Missoula, Montana, and a few miles southwest of the Lookout Peak ski resort.
“Using a GPS texting device, we were able to get in contact with two of the people. Thanks to this communication, we found two of the three males, and we then began a focused search in the area of their last known location. The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office stated, “We were able to locate the two males and bring them back to receive medical attention.”
The United States Air Force, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, Silver Valley Search and Rescue, and the Silver Mountain Ski Patrol all contributed to the rescue operation that the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office coordinated.
The search for a third man who was caught in the avalanche has been canceled because, according to the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office, he is currently thought to be dead. On Friday, January 12, authorities will launch an effort to recover his body.
“We learned information that led us to believe the third male was dead at the scene of the avalanche while we were questioning the two men. We have ended our search for everyone’s safety this evening due to this information,” the office stated.
At this time, the authorities have not made the victims’ names public.
For several days, there had been an avalanche danger warning in the area, and the authorities withheld information regarding the three individuals’ activities. According to officials, when the avalanche occurred, it had high, steep slopes and was being impacted by snowfall and strong winds.
A website for skiing enthusiasts claims that Stevens Peak is a well-liked location for cross-country skiing, hiking, and climbing.
The first American avalanche fatality of the season was reported in California one day prior to the avalanche.
At the Palisades Tahoe ski resort, which is close to Lake Tahoe, an avalanche broke out on Wednesday morning, trapping four people. There was one fatality.
On Thursday, a second avalanche hit the area close to Lake Tahoe; no injuries were reported.
