3 heli-skiers are feared dead after getting caught in large avalanche in Alaska

Three heli-skiers caught in a large avalanche in the Alaska backcountry are feared dead.

The skiers are believed to be buried between 40 and 100 feet deep after an avalanche near Girdwood around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said in a daily dispatch.

They have not been recovered yet. Austin McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers, told The Associated Press that they “do not believe that any of the three missing persons survived the avalanche.”

The avalanche happened near the West Fork of 20 Mile River near Girdwood. State wildlife troopers were notified after 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The commercial heli-skiing operation that the group was with attempted to locate the skiers and used beacons to identify their location. Heli-skiing is a guided skiing or snowboarding experience that takes you to remote areas by helicopter.

“Due to considerable avalanche risk in this area and limited daylight, no further recovery operations were conducted on March 4th,” the public safety department said.

Troopers planned to assess the area Wednesday to see if recovery operations could be conducted.