Avalanche at Crystal Mountain kills 1, temporarily traps 5 others
An avalanche at Crystal Mountain on Saturday morning killed one man and temporarily trapped five others who survived, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
An avalanche swept through the Silver Basin area at about 10:50 a.m., trapping six people, sheriff’s department spokesperson Sgt. Darren Moss said. The area where the incident occurred is outside the grounds of the Crystal Mountain ski resort.
Crystal Mountain ski resort CEO Frank Deberry said the group was made up of six men. The man who died was in his 60s. Deberry said the men rescued themselves from the avalanche and reported the incident to ski patrol. Ski patrol was not in the area because the group was backcountry skiing.
The man was not breathing when he was pulled from the snow. Someone in the group performed CPR to try to save his life, but the man died. He has not been identified.
Each skier in the group was wearing an avalanche beacon when the incident occurred, which helped the skiers locate one another. Ski patrol advised the group to leave the area in case a second avalanche were to occur.
Deberry said the mountain has been under heavy snow and winds throughout much of Saturday. He advised skiers to keep snow safety in mind no matter the weather conditions.
Moss said a deputy from the sheriff’s department went to Crystal Mountain to investigate the incident.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story included incorrect information about who rescued the skiers from the avalanche and who reported the incident.
This story was originally published December 11, 2021 at 12:21 PM.
