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1 person killed in large avalanche in western Wyoming backcountry

Last Updated 1 month by Amnon J. Jobi | Amnon Front Page

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — An avalanche killed one skier and injured another after the group they were in triggered the large snowslide while ascending a mountain in western Wyoming.

The avalanche happened Saturday in a backcountry area about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Grand Teton National Park.

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As the group of four people went up a steep slope at an elevation of 10,400 feet (3,150 meters), a large slab of snow about 5 feet (1.5 meters) thick broke away and slid, fully burying the victim and partially burying a second skier, according to Teton County Search and Rescue and the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center.

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Authorities received an alert about the accident just before noon. It took rescuers almost four hours to reach the scene by skis after a helicopter tried to reach the site but had to turn around because of stormy weather.

A series of snowstorms have swept through the area in recent weeks, including one on Saturday, said National Weather Service forecaster Jason Straub.

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The skier’s death marks the fifth person to be killed by an avalanche in the U.S. this winter.