UPDATE: Authorities release name of snowmobiler killed in Utah avalanche

UPDATE:

The following is a news release from Davis County Sheriff’s Office.

FARMINGTON, Utah – On Saturday, January 18, Chase Adams and his father, Ben Adams, were snowmobiling in Farmington Canyon when an avalanche was triggered. Chase and his snowmobile were immediately buried by the avalanche. Chase was wearing a beacon and deployed the airbag in his backpack; however, it did not float as intended. Despite incredibly swift rescue and lifesaving efforts, Chase did not survive.

A statement from Ben Adams is below:

“We spent the day at a location that is dear to me and my boys. We had a wonderful day doing what we love to do. When the snow slid, I was shocked, but I had a feeling everything was going to be okay. I prayed, I called his mom, I called 911, and she called 911. Thank you to everyone who rides in Farmington Canyon—it is a beautiful community and family. I am an extremely strong man and in the moment of physical need to save my son my strength availed nothing. I was useless and shifted my strength to God. I relied on him, knowing my nothingness and trusting his great power to give me strength to know that, someday, we will see each other again, by virtue of Jesus Christ. Special thanks to the Larkins and other bystanders, Davis County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, University of Utah AirMed, Utah Department of Public Safety Air Lift and the University of Utah Trauma Team. Be safe.”

Davis County Sheriff’s Office expresses our condolences to the Adams family and thank everyone who responded. Between bystanders, family, Search and Rescue volunteers, and first responders, we were able to locate Chase and transport him to a trauma center within less than 70 minutes from the initial call to dispatch.

The family requests that their privacy be respected at this time.

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FARMINGTON, Utah — An 18-year-old snowmobiler died after being killed in an avalanche near Farmington, Utah Saturday afternoon.

Davis County Sheriff’s Office tells KUTV he unintentionally triggered the avalanche while riding with his father in Farmington Canyon.

He was wearing both an avalanche transceiver and an avalanche airbag backpack. It took about 30 minutes for a search and rescue team to locate him. He was found buried in six feet of snow with his airbag inflated.

“We were really lucky that AirMed was just a few minutes away. They were able to shuttle our search and rescue guys up there within minutes,” Sgt. Nathan Dabb with the Davis County Sheriff’s Office says.

“The avalanche debris piled up very deeply on upper Farmington Lake because there is no transition from the steep slope above to the flat area of the lake,” reports the Utah Avalanche Center. “There were some initial reports that his airbag was not deployed or did not function, but the bag was punctured during digging to recover him.”

He was taken by air ambulance to the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake, where he later died. The name of the snowmobiler has not been released.

“We are incredibly grateful to every person and agency who assisted with the rescue and lifesaving efforts,” a statement from the sheriff’s office says.

At least 13 avalanches occurred in Utah since Friday and four of those are believed to have been triggered by humans.

RELATED | Snowmobiler walks away unharmed after triggering avalanche in Gallatin National Forest

Two human-caused avalanches happened near Cooke City, Montana on Henderson Mountain and Mount Fox in Gallatin National Forest last week. No injuries were reported.

Avalanche Center officials are urging you to check the forecast and evaluate snow and terrain carefully before recreating in the mountains. Use caution when picking a route and make sure everyone in your party has avalanche rescue gear that works and that they know how to use it.