MORGAN -- A 43-year-old man was killed Sunday afternoon when his snowmobile became buried in an avalanche north of Francis Peak in Morgan County.
The avalanche was reported around 1:50 p.m., said Morgan County Sheriff's Deputy Derek Engstrom.
The victim is identified as Lee Gardner, of Bountiful.
Gardner was with a companion when snow sloughed off the ridge, triggering the avalanche north of Francis Peak, which is on the border between Davis and Morgan counties.
"The conditions were not ideal for snowmobiling," Engstrom said.
Gardner was wearing an avalanche beacon, which allowed rescuers to determine his location relatively quickly.
Gardner was buried under about 2 feet of compacted snow, Engstrom said.
Gardner's companion, who reportedly is a paramedic and didn't sustain any serious injuries, was able to partially dig him out, call 911 on his cell phone and administer CPR, Engstrom said.
However, Gardner couldn't be revived.
Engstrom said an AirMed helicopter from the University of Utah removed Gardner's body from the mountain.
The avalanche pushed Gardner down the mountain about 1,000 feet.
He appears to have died from trauma and not suffocation, said Morgan County Sheriff's Sgt. Scott Peay.
Recent snow coupled with strong winds Saturday caused snow to form deep drifts on the lee sides of ridges in the Francis Peak area, according to the Utah Avalanche Center's Web site, www.utahavalanchecenter.org.
The Farmington Canyon/Francis Peak ridgeline is notoriously windy and it is likely there were deep, fresh drifts along the north and east facing slopes near the ridges, the Web site says.
Updated 9:03 p.m.
Bountiful man dies in avalanche while snowmobiling
MORGAN -- A 42-year-old Bountiful man was killed Sunday afternoon when his snowmobile became buried in an avalanche north of Francis Peak in Morgan County.
The avalanche was reported around 1:50 p.m., said Derek Engstrom, a deputy with the Morgan County Sheriff's Office.
The name of the victim was not immediately available.
The victim was with a companion when snow sloughed off the ridge, triggering the avalanche north of Francis Peak, which is on the border between Davis and Morgan counties.
"The conditions were not ideal for snowmobiling," Engstrom said.
The victim was wearing an avalanche beacon, which allowed rescuers to determine his location relatively quickly. The man was buried under about 2 feet of compacted snow, Engstrom said.
The victim's companion, who reportedly is a paramedic and didn't sustain any serious injuries, was able to partially dig him out, call 911 on his cell phone and administer CPR, Engstrom said.
However, the victim couldn't be revived.
Engstrom said an AirMed helicopter from the University of Utah removed the victim's body from the mountain.
Comments