Teen dies after Alaska avalanche buries him in nearly 15 feet of snow
According to the Alaska Department of Public Safety, the body was initially located in an unstable location, which prevented the Alaska Rescue Group from recovering the victim.
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Aidan Croft says he was pinned down by the avalanche for 90 minutes and feels fortunate to be able to share his story of survival.
TURNAGAIN PASS, Alaska – A teenager was killed in an avalanche in Alaska on Saturday, according to authorities.
Alaska State troopers said they received a report about the avalanche at Turnagain Pass, saying snowmachiners were riding along the back trails of Seattle Ridge. Witnesses in the area stated that a juvenile male triggered an avalanche and died after being buried in snow.
According to authorities, an area of unstable snow prevented teams from recovering the victim's body. However, the teen's body was recovered Sunday by the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group and transported to the state medic.
The Richardson Highway, in Alaska, near Mile 16 is still buried under debris from a massive avalanche in Snowslide Gulch near Keystone Canyon and the Lowe River as road crews wait for the flooding to recede on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014. (Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
(Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News/Tribune News Service)
According to the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center, the avalanche crown was 2-3 feet deep and approximately 500 feet wide.
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The debris pile where the rider was buried was 10-15 feet deep on average.
According to the National Weather Service, 90% of avalanche incidents are triggered by the victim or someone in the victim's party. Avalanches kill more than 150 people worldwide each year.