UPDATE: Woman buried in avalanche released from hospital
Published at | Updated at
UPDATE:
TETON COUNTY, Wyoming – Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr tells EastIdahoNews.com the woman was released from the hospital Friday night and is back home.
The sheriff’s office is still investigating the incident to try and piece together all the details and determine how long she was buried, but witnesses say the woman was buried for 10-12 minutes.
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TETON COUNTY, Wyoming – A woman was hospitalized Friday after being buried in an avalanche north of Teton Pass.
Jackson Hole News and Guide reports a 28-year-old woman from Jackson was in the Great White Hump area, north of Glory Bowl, skiing with a group of friends. They were taking turns using snowmobiles to shuttle one another up the slope and then skiing back down.
A snowmobiler taking a skier up a slope triggered an avalanche above her. The avalanche was set in motion before she could move out of the way and got buried.
Nine people were nearby at the time. They saw her get buried after it carried her about 450 feet.
Witnesses called 911 and Teton County Search and Rescue began a helicopter search with a medical team.
Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr told JHNG the woman was wearing a beacon, but it wasn’t turned on.
How long she remained buried is unknown, but they found her around 4 p.m. with a probe strike.
She was taken to St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson.
We reached out to Teton County Search and Rescue for an update on the woman’s condition. We have not received a response.
Avalanche danger is listed as moderate by the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center.
Sunny skies are forecasted in the area Saturday, which could be hazardous to skiers and riders.
“In steep, wind loaded avalanche prone terrain, skiers and riders could trigger dense wind slabs with depths of one to two feet. Daytime warming will increase the likelihood of triggering these slabs and also bring about the possibility of shallow wet loose slides,” their website says.
Another round of mountain snowfall is in store Saturday night through Monday, but significant avalanche activity is unlikely below 9,000 feet, they say.
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