One person in a party of skiers was killed in an avalanche near Mazama on Sunday (March 4), Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said in a press release.
Rogers said the victim’s body is being recovered today, weather permitting. “Coroner Dave Rodriguez is on the scene and when the recovery is complete he will be releasing further information, including the name of the victim,” Rogers said in the press release.
Rogers said that around 1:40 p.m. on Sunday, Okanogan County Search and Rescue personnel were dispatched. The incident occurred out of Winthrop on the Goat Creek Road and Forest Service 52 Road, approximately 12 miles up from the Sno-Park, the sheriff said.
“It appears that … the four skiers were caught in an avalanche and one of the skiers was killed,” Rogers reported. “The other three skiers were able to locate him with his beacon but were not able to bring him down off the mountain. Rescue workers attempted to get into the area yesterday [Sunday] but because of the dangerous conditions and extreme avalanche dangers, they were unable to get to the victim. Attempts today will be made to recover the victim with the use of a helicopter, weather permitting, but at this time we are not sending anyone into the area on foot because of the dangerous conditions.”
