Ketchum doctor killed in backcountry avalanche | Latest news

A well-known Ketchum doctor died Friday after a tragic accident in the Lost River hinterland.

Dr. Terrence “Terry” O’Connor, 48, was buried and killed in an avalanche at Donaldson Peak on Friday, May 10, Custer County Coroner Chad Workman confirmed to the Express.

O’Connor was an emergency room doctor at St. Luke’s Wood River until his death. Workman said O’Connor’s next of kin have been notified.

According to a joint report from the Sawtooth Avalanche Center and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, the accident occurred around 11:55 a.m.

The report states that O’Connor was “descending” to the drop-off point with another experienced backcountry skier when O’Connor “tripped and entered a small slab avalanche.” The small slide carried O’Connor downhill and triggered a “second and larger avalanche,” the report said.

O’Connor’s ski partner “used a satellite communications device to call for help before descending the avalanche path” and located O’Connor using her rescue device and probe, the report said. She dug him out of “at least five feet of snow” with a shovel and began CPR.

“Search and rescue teams responded and evacuated Skier 1, but he did not survive the accident,” the report said.

In addition to his duties at St. Luke’s Wood River, O’Connor previously led the Blaine County Ambulance District. He was honored by the Idaho Hospital Association and the South Central Public Health District for his “patient-centered” bedside manner and dedication to the Wood River Valley community, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Terry was an outstanding physician and played a critical role in the early days of the COVID pandemic, truly demonstrating the public health role of the EMS Medical Director within a community. His loss will be missed not only in the valley itself, but throughout the valley state and region,” the Idaho EMS Physician Commission said in a statement Saturday. “We extend our condolences to his family and the Wood River Fire and EMS community.”

This is a developing story. To contribute to an upcoming feature honoring O’Connor’s legacy, email editor Greg Foley at [email protected].