Current:Home > Stocks23 skiers, snowboarders rescued from Vermont backcountry in deadly temperatures-LoTradeCoin
23 skiers, snowboarders rescued from Vermont backcountry in deadly temperatures
View Date:2024-12-25 01:32:16
First responders in Vermont rescued 23 skiers and snowboarders from the backcountry after they were reported missing amid a blast of arctic air that dropped temperatures into the single digits, authorities said.
The police department in Killington, a town in the Green Mountains of central Vermont, received a call that seven to nine people were missing in the backcountry at about 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, the department said in a social media post. After the state police's search and rescue team was brought in, it was determined that 21 people, including six juveniles, were missing.
The search team hiked and snowshoed about 5 miles in freezing temperatures. After each person was found, they were warmed up in firetrucks or the personal vehicles of first responders.
Just as the rescuers were preparing to leave, an additional call reported that two other people were lost. By 9:30 p.m., the two skiers also were brought to safety.
Over the weekend, temperatures in much of the Plains, the Midwest and the Northeast plunged into the single digits; wind chills were as low as minus 20 to minus 30 degrees in some areas. The arctic air, which stretched across much of the country, followed a series of deadly winter storms last week that had killed 91 people as of Sunday.
The dangers of snow sports
Earlier in the month, an avalanche barreled down a California ski resort near Lake Tahoe, killing one and injuring three others.
The incident reminded winter recreationists across the country the dangers of snow sports. Skiers and snowboarders have been advised by industry experts, such as the National Ski Areas Association, to be aware of dangerous weather, changing snow conditions, machinery working on slopes, and other recreationists.
Over the 2022-23 U.S. ski season, the national association reported 46 skier and snowboarder fatalities in ski areas. The total number of fatalities for the season was slightly higher than the 10-year industry average of 42 fatalities a season, according to the group.
The primary factors of fatal incidents included speed, loss of control and collisions with objects on slopes. The season also had record-breaking snowfall, the ski areas association said, which contributed to an "unusually high number" of deep-snow immersion fatalities.
veryGood! (58)
Related
- New York eyes reviving congestion pricing toll before Trump takes office
- The Super League had its day in court and won. What is it and why do some fans and clubs object?
- French serial killer's widow, Monique Olivier, convicted for her part in murders
- Spain’s leader lauds mended relations with Catalonia. Separatists say it’s time to vote on secession
- Get well, Pop. The Spurs are in great hands until your return
- Paul Finebaum calls Michigan football's Jim Harbaugh a 'dinosaur in a changing world'
- The Czech central bank cuts key interest rate for the first time since June 2022 to help economy
- Why Lisa Kudrow Told Ex Conan O'Brien You're No One Before His Late-Night Launch
- Roster limits in college small sports put athletes on chopping block while coaches look for answers
- France’s president is accused of siding with Depardieu as actor faces sexual misconduct allegations
Ranking
- COINIXIAI Introduce
- People's Choice Country Awards 2024 will return to Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House
- 10 NFL records that could be broken in 2023 season
- Czech police say people have been killed in a shooting in downtown Prague
- Minnesota man is free after 16 years in prison for murder that prosecutors say he didn’t commit
- The Super League had its day in court and won. What is it and why do some fans and clubs object?
- World Bank projects that Israel-Hamas war could push Lebanon back into recession
- Albania’s parliament lifts the legal immunity of former prime minister Sali Berisha
Recommendation
-
Steelers' Mike Tomlin shuts down Jayden Daniels Lamar comparison: 'That's Mr. Jackson'
-
Fatal fires serve as cautionary tale of dangers of lithium-ion batteries
-
More than 2.5 million Honda and Acura vehicles are recalled for a fuel pump defect
-
Photos show winter solstice traditions around the world as celebrations mark 2023's shortest day
-
College Football Playoff snubs: Georgia among teams with beef after second rankings
-
Pentagon slow to remedy forever chemicals in water around hundreds of military bases
-
Forget Hollywood's 'old guard,' Nicolas Cage says the young filmmakers get him
-
Emmanuel Macron says Gérard Depardieu 'makes France proud' amid sexual misconduct claims