Avalanches kill 2 snowmobilers in Washington and Idaho

Two snowmobilers are dead after separate avalanches in Idaho and Washington state, officials said.  Both fatalities occurred on Friday, March 1.

In Washington, two snowmobilers triggered an avalanche near Darland Mountain, which is part of the Cascade mountain range. One rider was fully buried in snow and did not survive, the Northwest Avalanche Center said in a news release. The center did not provide information about the other snowmobiler, but advised that anyone looking to visit the mountain exercise caution. The center said staff members were planning to visit the accident site on Saturday, but they have not posted any information about what was learned in that trip. 

The second fatality occurred on Friday afternoon, according to Boundary County Emergency Management. Boundary County is in Idaho, near the state's border with Washington. Officials said Lance J. Gidley, 54, was snowmobiling with a friend when they encountered an avalanche. The friend was "barely able to outrun the avalanche on his snowmobile," but "immediately returned" to search for Gidley once it was safe, officials said. 

Gidley was wearing an avalanche beacon, which can help locate people who are buried. He was found deceased under four feet of snow, officials said. Gidley's body was recovered on Saturday. The recovery mission took nine hours, the emergency management office said, because of "rugged terrain, challenging weather and the high risk of further avalanche." The incident remains under investigation. 

Avalanches can have a number of causes, including the angle of the mountain slope and a trigger like a rider disturbing the area or strong winds or rock falls. It can be difficult to outrun the natural phenomena, and those in areas prone to avalanches should be aware of any warnings or forecasts and carry tools like an avalanche beacon to alert rescuers to their location.

In:
• avalanche
• Idaho
• Washington

Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

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