GIRDWOOD, Alaska—Three skiers who had flown by helicopter to a remote mountain range were swept away by an avalanche and likely killed under the weight of dozens of feet of snow, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday.
If the deaths are confirmed, it would be the deadliest U.S. avalanche since three climbers were killed in a slide in Washington’s Cascade Range two years ago.
While Alaska State Troopers had been unable to assess the site, spokesperson Austin McDaniel said troopers do not believe the three skiers survived the avalanche.
The slide caught the heli-skiers late Tuesday afternoon in the Chugach Mountains near the skiing community of Girdwood, located about 40 miles south of Anchorage, said McDaniel. Heli-skiers use helicopters to reach mountains in remote backcountry areas where there are no ski lifts, and then they either ski or snowboard down….