2 skiers killed, 1 rescued after avalanche in Utah

Two skiers were killed and a third was rescued in an avalanche accident Thursday in the mountains outside Salt Lake City that came after several days of spring snowstorms, authorities said.

The Salt Lake Area Unified Police Department confirmed to CBS News Thursday afternoon that two of the skiers in the avalanche died and a third was rescued. No further details were immediately released and the names of the victims were not released.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera previously reported that the rescued skier dug himself out of the snow, was rescued around noon and taken to a hospital.

A rescue team responded shortly after 10 a.m. to an avalanche reported near Lone Peak in the Wasatch Range southeast of Salt Lake City, Rivera said.

Rivera revealed that crews were initially unable to search for the other two due to conditions on the mountain and that they had to take remedial measures to ensure safety.

Rivera said she believes the man who was rescued was the one who called for help. Officers spoke with him at the hospital to get more information about the incident, the sheriff said.

The skiers hiked into the area Thursday morning, she said.

Craig Gordon of the Utah Avalanche Center said about 2.5 feet of heavy, wet snow has fallen in the area over the last three days.

The skiers would have had to have been very experienced to even be in the “very serious terrain,” he said.