Snowmobiler killed in large avalanche in southern Montana

COOKE CITY, Mont. — A snowmobiler from Washington died after he was buried in a large avalanche in southern Montana.

Forecasters with the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center say two snowmobilers were headed uphill near Daisy Pass north of Cooke City on New Year’s Eve when one of them triggered the slide and was swept about 600 vertical feet (183 vertical meters).

The buried rider, who was covered in 5 feet (152 centimeters) of snow, was wearing an avalanche airbag backpack, but it wasn’t deployed. Both riders, whose names have not been released, had shovels and probes, but neither was wearing an avalanche beacon.

Another group of snowmobilers helped search for the missing rider and found his body about an hour later. The avalanche was about 2-4 feet (61-122 centimeters) deep, 500 feet (152 meters) wide and 600 feet (183 meters) long. It broke on weak snow near the bottom of the snowpack.

The accident marked the third avalanche fatality this winter season, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, which tracks the deaths nationally.