Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Avalanche claims snowmobiler

Shannon Erwin, 38, died in massive slide in Norton Creek area


By JASON KAUFFMAN
Express Staff Writer

The aftermath of a deadly avalanche that claimed the life of a Lincoln County man in a remote area of the Smoky Mountains northwest of Ketchum is shown in this photo courtesy of the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office. Killed in the slide was Shannon Erwin, 38, of Richfield. Photo by

A Lincoln County snowmobiler was killed Sunday afternoon after getting buried by a massive avalanche in a remote area of the Smoky Mountains northwest of Ketchum.

According to Blaine County officials, the victim, Shannon Erwin, 38, of Richfield, was traveling with four other snowmobilers near Norton Peak in the Baker Creek drainage. Erwin triggered an avalanche about 1 p.m. while riding on a northwest-facing slope and was subsequently buried.

Blaine County Coroner Russ Mikel said Erwin died of asphyxiation from being buried in the heavy snow. A report from the Blaine County Sheriff's Office estimates that Erwin was buried for about 20 minutes before being dug out by the other members of his party.

"They had their tracking beacons and were able to locate him fairly quickly and get him out," Mikel said.

Blaine County Sheriff Walt Femling estimated that the avalanche was 300 to 400 feet across and about 1,000 feet long. Members of the snowmobile party used a satellite phone to call 911 and report the incident.

It was the second avalanche fatality in the upper Wood River Valley in the past month. On March 6, Ketchum resident Stella Keane, 53, was killed in a slide triggered off a partially forested mountainside on the west shoulder of Gladiator Peak in the Boulder Mountains. The two avalanches both involved steep, rocky terrain prone to sliding.

This isn't the first time that an avalanche has claimed the life of snowmobilers in the Baker Creek drainage. In 2004 and 2005, slides killed two snowmobilers in the Brodie Gulch and Apollo Creek areas of the large drainage.

According to the sheriff's report, skiers from Sun Valley Heli Ski Guides were the first responders on the scene. They used an automatic defibrillator and CPR to attempt to resuscitate Erwin but got "no response" from the victim, the report states.

Erwin's body was flown out of the avalanche scene by a Heli Ski helicopter. Behind the controls of the aircraft was Heli Ski pilot Lon Stickney. The mid-valley resident was also behind the controls during the rescue efforts at the avalanche site on Gladiator Ridge.

The other snowmobilers in Sunday's accident, none of whom were injured, rode out of the Baker Creek drainage on their machines, the sheriff's report states.

Though the Sawtooth National Forest Avalanche Center ceased daily operations on April 1, the center's last advisory on Friday had urged backcountry travelers to be extra cautious on steep, rocky slopes due to persistent weak layers buried in the snowpack.

"Our long mid-winter dry spell created very weak snow near the base of the snowpack and it will remain possible to trigger a large, destructive avalanche in areas where the weak snow persists," avalanche forecaster Chris Lundy said in an update to the advisory on April 5. "Due to much wind accompanying our spring storms, extremely variable snow depths cover the weak layer."

According to Lundy, shallow areas of snow cover increase the risk of the weight of a person or snow machine collapsing the weak underlying snow and triggering a slide.

The Ketchum Police Department, Blaine County Search and Rescue, the Blaine County Sheriff's Office, the Sun Valley Fire Department and Air St. Luke's also responded to the call.

The emergency response and recovery of the body lasted about three hours.

Jason Kauffman: jkauffman@mtexpress.com




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