Skier killed after avalanche buries him alive in Wyoming backcountry

A backcountry skier was killed Saturday when the group he was with triggered a massive avalanche as they climbed a Wyoming mountain, burying him alive, according to officials.The group of four skiers was trekking up the remote Togwotee Pass using a skin track just before noon when they sparked the deadly snowslide that completely covered Kenneth Goff and partially buried another victim who suffered a leg injury, according to a rescue organization and reports.The rescue mission wasn’t completed until nightfall as rescuers faced challenging conditions.Teton County Search and Rescue personnel first attempted to reach the scene by helicopter and snowmobile, but difficult weather made that impossible.Instead, a team of rescue skiers trudged to the area and reached the scene nearly four hours after receiving the emergency alert.Kenneth Goff, 36, of Lander, Wyoming, was identified by the Teton County Coroner’s Office as the fatal victim, according to the Cowboy State Daily.

He is the fifth person to die from an avalanche this winter.As volunteers worked into the evening, they brought the injured skier down to safety in a litter and then rushed him into an ambulance from Grand Teton National Park, which is about 20 miles away from where the avalanche occurred.The body of Goff was also recovered and brought back via a sked, according to the group.“This serves as an important reminder of how much longer a mission can take when the helicopter is grounded, and is another factor to consider in your backcountry planning should an accident occur,” the rescue group wrote in a news release.“TCSAR extends its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased skier.”The avalanche comes as ugly winter weather batters much of the country, including a series of snowstorms that hit the Wyoming area in recent weeks, and on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.With Post wires ...