Backcountry skier killed in Glacier avalanche
Glacier’s Mounts Stanton, foreground and Vaught glow in the evening sun lin this file photo.
A 36-year-old Kalispell man was killed in an avalanche Thursday afternoon while backcountry skiing on Stanton Mountain in Glacier National Park.
Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said the name of the victim won’t be released until the family is notified.
Glacier National Park spokeswoman Lauren Alley said park rangers received a call about the avalanche at 3:15 p.m.
Alley said the victim was skiing with two other people and that the slide occurred about 500 feet below the summit of the mountain. The two companions were not caught in the avalanche, she said.
One of the skiers was able to call for help with a cell phone.
“The companion closest to the victim was able to immediately search for the victim, find him, warm him and comfort him” until emergency crews arrived, Alley said.
Two Bear Air Rescue and Glacier Park rangers responded to the scene while the ALERT helicopter was staged nearby.
Alley said the victim was in critical condition when emergency workers arrived and that he was pronounced dead during the rescue effort.
Avalanche danger on Thursday was rated as moderate in southern Glacier Park at elevations above 6,000 feet.
Stanton Mountain rises to 7,750 feet in elevation along the shore of Lake McDonald.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.