Oregon avalanche sweeps snowboarder over volcano cliff to his death, sheriff says

Two Oregon skiers watched as their good friend was swept over a snow-covered volcano cliff and died on account of the autumn, authorities mentioned.

A search and rescue workforce with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Workplace was dispatched at about 12:45 p.m. Wednesday to a report of an avalanche at Paulina Peak in Newberry Nationwide Volcanic Monument.

The Worldwide Emergency Coordination Response Middle (IERCC) knowledgeable deputies that they’d acquired an SOS alarm from a tool and supplied GPS coordinates for the placement. 

A second alert from the machine said there had been an avalanche, and that CPR was in progress on an individual who was not respiration.

The particular person caught within the avalanche was later recognized as 33-year-old Erik Hefflefinger of Bend, Oregon. 

In keeping with his buddies and different skiers on the scene, they witnessed the avalanche from under and noticed Hefflefinger being carried over a cliff band by the avalanche particles, authorities mentioned.

Hefflefinger was positioned by his buddies, who weren’t buried by the avalanche, and instantly began lifesaving efforts. 

Snow circumstances restricted the arrival of some first responders, however profitable air rescue operations allowed crews to succeed in Hefflefinger about 3 hours after the avalanche.

Life-saving measures had been carried out after discovering his faint pulse. Nevertheless, the person succumbed to his accidents.  

Because of the investigation, deputies mentioned the sufferer presumably hit a tree whereas caught within the avalanche particles. 

Hefflefinger’s demise was not the primary of the 12 months in Deschutes County. Two prior avalanche fatalities have been investigated since January, deputies mentioned.  Earlier than these tragedies, it had been 9 years since a fatality was recorded as a consequence of an avalanche.

The summit of Paulina Peak with an elevation of seven,984 ft, is the very best level on the Newberry Volcano, in accordance with the U.S. Division of Agriculture Forest Service.