Kurt Damschroder, 57, of Park City, Utah, was killed after being caught in the avalanche, Summit County Sheriff Justin Martinez said in a tweet Sunday.
Damschroder was one of two skiers who caused the avalanche in an area known as Square Top outside the boundaries of the resort near Park City Mountain Canyons Village, the sheriff said in a statement. news release.
“Our hearts and prayers are with Kurt’s girlfriend and family,” Martinez said in the tweet.
The second skier was able to dig to Damschroder and make ‘rescue efforts’, but was forced to leave due to dangerous conditions, according to the release.
“The extreme avalanche danger prevented rescuers from entering the area the night before,” the sheriff said.
Summit County Search and Rescue is working with a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter to locate the missing skier.
As snowstorms accumulate during the winter months, the consistency of snow can change and become unstable and dangerous. Rural travelers are asked to analyze the low snow and test their stability before skiing or snowmobiling.
The sheriff’s office warned people to be ‘extremely careful’ when entering the country, to check avalanche conditions in the Utah Avalanche Center and to use the necessary equipment when skiing.