Avalanche death confirmed in Idaho

Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Lately, there’s been a heightened avalanche concern for the higher elevations and now it’s been confirmed that there’s at least one death following an avalanche this winter in Idaho.

“We got notification of a snowmobile avalanche outside of cascade in valley county,” says Adams County Sheriff, Ryan Zollman.

Sheriff Zollman says the avalanche happened December 15th in the mountain’s northwest of Boise. 41-year-old Jason Haines of Kuna was out riding with another man when it happened and became buried under the snow near the Wilson Creek Trail Head.

“The partner that was with the snowmobiler that’s deceased, he actually located him with an avalanche beacon, they were a short distance apart and he dug him out with the assistance of some riders that came by,” says Zollman.

The sheriff says Haines’ riding partner performed CPR, but he didn’t make it. This news comes as there’s been a heightened risk of avalanches across the state.

The sawtooth avalanche center forecasts the risk for our area. As of Monday, our mountains were under a considerable rating, or three out of five-- with the center warning that conditions remain dangerous.

“It’s a common question we have-- so at what danger ratings do people die in avalanches. and in Idaho and in many states in the u-s it’s at a considerable rating or a level 3,” says Sawtooth Avalanche Center Forecaster, Scott Savage.

Savage also says when the danger is “high” or “extreme” -- it’s often more challenging for people to get out to high-risk areas because of bad weather conditions. That’s why it’s less likely to see any deaths during a level 4 or 5 warning.

“As we come down from the high danger and we get down to considerable, one of the reason that it becomes such a higher likely hood that we have avalanche accidents during considerable danger is -- the snowmobiling and the skiing and the powder is just as good, but it’s going to be sunny out and when you have sunny skies, and two to three feet of fresh snow is just a recipe for trouble,” says Savage.

To avoid any threats of avalanche danger, the Sawtooth Center advises everyone to stay away from slopes that are steeper than 30 degrees.

“If you’re out snowmobiling or skiing, or you’re going to go sled riding our anything like that, by all means, go out and have fun out in the mountains but you just don’t want to be on a steep slope or under one because right now avalanches can release on their own,” says Savage.

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