Emergency room doctor killed in Idaho after triggering an avalanche

A prominent Idaho emergency physician known as an expert backcountry skier died Friday after triggering an avalanche while skiing, a preliminary report found.

Two experienced backcountry skiers were skiing on Donaldson Peak in Idaho’s Lost River Range on Friday when one of the skiers died after being buried in an avalanche, the Sawtooth Avalanche Center and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said in the on Report published on Saturday. The skier was identified by the Custer County Coroner’s Office as Dr. Terrence “Terry” O’Connor, 48, was identified, the Idaho Mountain Express reported.

According to the report, the accident occurred around 11:55 a.m. The two skiers were in the process of descending to their ski run when O’Connor “triggered and was caught in a small snowdrift avalanche,” the report said.

The slide then carried O’Connor downhill, causing a second and larger avalanche, the report continued. O’Connor’s ski partner, who was not identified, used a satellite communications device to call for help before skiing down the avalanche path to locate O’Connor.

According to the report, the ski partner was able to find O’Connor using her rescue device and probe rod. O’Connor was buried under at least 1.5 meters of snow.

She dug him out of the snow with a shovel and began CPR, the report continued. Search and rescue teams responded and evacuated O’Connor, but he did not survive the accident.

Friday’s accident is the latest avalanche accident in the United States. According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, dozens of fatal avalanche accidents occur each year, primarily among backcountry skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers.

As of Sunday, there have been 16 avalanche deaths during the 2023-2024 winter season, including 10 skiers, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Last season there were a total of 30 avalanche deaths.

Snow sports involve risks:Avalanches remind us of the dangers of snow sports

Victim is remembered as an “outstanding doctor.”

According to the hospital’s website, O’Connor was an emergency room doctor at St. Luke’s Wood River in Ketchum, Idaho. The Idaho EMS Physician Commission confirmed O’Connor’s death in a statement posted on Facebook Saturday.

“Terry was an outstanding physician and played a critical role in the early days of the COVID pandemic by highlighting the public health role of the EMS medical director within a community,” the commission said. “His loss will be missed not only in the valley itself, but throughout the state and region.”

In a 2021 blog post, the hospital noted O’Connor’s commitment to the Wood River Valley community during the coronavirus pandemic. He was also principal investigator of a COVID-19 study on new variants and the immune response to the virus.

Outside of his work, O’Connor has also worked as a bike tour guide, ski patroller, National Park Service climbing ranger, ultramarathon runner and backcountry skier, according to the blog post.

Last avalanche accident this year

According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, O’Connor’s death is the third avalanche fatality in May.

On Thursday, two skiers died in an avalanche in Lone Peak Canyon, a mountain peak southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah. A third skier survived the accident and was rescued and taken to a hospital after “extricating himself,” authorities said.

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