Snowmobiler Killed in Utah Avalanche: 'Just Monster Slabs of Snow'

Mar. 15, 2025

Utah avalanche.Photo:Photo courtesy Utah DPS

Photo courtesy Utah DPS

A 37-year-old man is dead after being buried in snow during an avalanche while riding a snowmobile in Utah.

On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the Rich County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as Scott Wright from Evanston, Wyo.

The avalanche occurred on Monday, Feb. 3, in the Monte Cristo Snowmobile Area near the Rich County and Cache County Line, the sheriff’s office said in apress release.

Utah avalanche.Utah Avalanche Center

Utah Avalanche Center

Wright was snowmobiling with a friend of his at the time of the fatal accident. Afterward, “the friend was unable to locate the victim and called for help,” the sheriff’s office said.

Rich County Search and Rescue were dispatched to the scene at approximately 3 p.m. local time, and multiple other agencies assisted with the search.

“The snow was very deep where the avalanche occurred and it took nearly four hours to locate the victim,” who was found around 6:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office continued.

In a preliminary report, theUtah Avalanche Centersaid Wright “was caught, carried, and fully buried in a large hard slab avalanche.”

Dave Sparks toldFox 13 Salt Lake Citythat his team at Sparks Heavy Rescue faced difficulty locating the victim as they assisted with the search.

“The fact that the whole thing broke and slid down into the trees made it an extremely complicated recovery," he said.

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Sparks, who allowed his helicopter to be used following the avalanche, explained, “So logistics on this one were very challenging, that’s why the Black Hawk is such a powerful tool for this type of stuff.”

“That could be a pillow-shaped slope, and then if you’re getting any cracking or collapsing, that’s a telltale sign that the slope is unstable,” Nikki Champion, a forecaster with theUtah Avalanche Center, told the news station.

source: people.com