Avalanche — Cook Inlet, Alaska

2000-02-01 · Cook Inlet, Alaska

Event narrative

Work crews were releasing snow loads when an avalanche occurred. One D6 caterpiller worker was killed when his 35,000 pound D6 was carried about 400 feet into Turnagain Arm. The cab was crushed. The critically injured operator was taken to an Anchorage hospital by an ERA helicopter on the scene, dying from injuries received a short time later. Two other D6 operators were injured, neither critically.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5129814. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.