Avalanche in Salt River & Wyoming Ranges, Wyoming

A snowmobiler who became stuck in the snow and triggered an avalanche was killed in the Squaw Creek area in western Wyoming. The man had stepped off his machine in an attempt to free his snowmobile from the snow. At the same time, the 150-foot-wide slab broke loose along a south-facing slope at an elevation of approximately 9000 feet. The man was carried by the avalanche and was buried for 15 to 20 minutes, despite being located quickly because of an avalanche beacon he was wearing.