Backcountry skier killed after buried by avalanche in Idaho, officials say

An experienced backcountry skier was killed after they were caught in an avalanche in Idaho on Friday, officials said.

The skier, who has not been identified, was traveling on Donaldson Peak in Idaho’s Lost River Range with another experienced backcountry skier, the Sawtooth Avalanche Center said.

One skier triggered the slope collapse while climbing down to where the pair were going to ski, officials said. He got caught in a small avalanche, which set off a second larger avalanche.

The second skier used a satellite communication device to call for help before skiing down the avalanche path. She used a rescue transceiver and probe pole to locate the first skier buried under about five feet of snow.

She dug him out with a shovel before performing CPR. Search and rescue teams evacuated him, but he didn’t survive, officials said.

The man’s death is the third this week after two skiers were killed after an avalanche in the mountains outside Salt Lake City on Thursday. A third skier survived, officials said. Two snowmobilers in Idaho and Washington died after separate avalanches in March.

This winter’s tally of avalanche deaths in the U.S. is 16, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. This is less than the average of about 30 people killed by avalanches in the U.S. every year.