A Snowmobiler Was Caught and Killed By An Avalanche In Alaska’s Chugach Mountains Near Nelchina Glacier.
Eureka Lodge, Alaska – On Saturday, February 27, 2016 a snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche south of Eureka lodge on the Sylvester Glacier near the Nelchina Glacier in the northern Chugach Mountains of Alaska. Alaska State Troopers identified the avalanche victim as 50-year-old Randy Pratt of Anchorage, Alaska.
Alaska State Troopers and Alaska Wildlife Troopers in Glennallen were alerted about the accident just before 1 PM. They were told that two snowmachiners were caught in an avalanche and unaccounted for.
The authorities responded by snowmobile from Eureka Lodge and recovered the body of a male snowmobiler by helicopter. All other parties were accounted for. Avalanche.org reports that “The victim’s transceiver was turned on, but reportedly in his backpack, which was ripped from his body.”
We will update this post as more information becomes available.
Read the Final Accident Report (PDF) From CNFAIC.org. They categorized the avalanche as a soft slab avalanche that was 2-4′ deep, 250-400′ wide and ran 1500-2000′ long. It was triggered on facets and surface hour on an east aspect at approcimatley 5000′. The debris pile was 2-10′ deep. The avalanche caught three snowmachiners, killing one of them.
AlaskaSnow.org posted photos of the avalanche.
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Read more about the avalanche fatality near Alaska’s Nelchina Glacier from these sources:
- CNFAIC.org Avalanche Accident Report
- KTUU.com
- Alaska Dispatch News
- CAIC Avalanche Accident Report
- Avalanche.org Accident Report
- AlaskaSnow.org
- KTUU.com
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According to the CAIC, this is the 22nd avalanche fatality and the 8th snowmobiler avalanche fatality in the US during the 2015/2016 winter season.
