Snowboarder Is 3rd Avalanche Fatality On Alaska’s Hatcher Pass For The 2015/2016 Season
Hatcher Pass, Alaska – On Saturday, January 16, 2016, an avalanche buried and killed a Warren Carlyle, 25, of Anchorage, Alaska. The avalanche happened on Skyscraper Mountain on Hatcher Pass. Alaska State Troopers were alerted about the avalanche at 2:16 PM.
According to ADN.com, a snowmachiner said the avalanche occurred on a “steep mountain face on the Willow side of Hatcher Pass.” The victim was found and extricated by people on scene – up to 15 or 20 people. ADN writes that it took an hour and fifteen minutes to pull him out.
He was then taken by snowmachine back to the parking area. CPR was in progress when the ambulance arrived. The snowboarder was transferred to an ambulance at 3 PM. A Life Flight helicopter attempted to help, but the man was declared dead.
At 9 PM on January 16, 2016, the Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center released additional information about the avalanche accident. The avalanche was human-triggered at 4,200′ on a SSE aspect on a cross loaded slope on Skyscraper Mountain. It is estimated to be 216′ wide by 600′ long x 6″-3′ deep. The debris pile was 9-12′ and the victim was buried 7.5′ deep.
The Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center writes, “Victim was traveling by snowshoe, climbed Skyscraper Mountain, triggered avalanche while descending by snowboard. Victim was traveling with one other partner, neither were wearing avalanche beacons. Lack of avalanche beacons, and the depth of the burial contributed to a long burial time, approximated at more than 30 minutes.” Please visit the HPAC to see a map of the avalanche location.
According to the Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center, the avalanche hazard warning on January 16, 2016 at 6:48 AM was moderate at mid (2500′-3500′) to upper elevations (3500’+) and low avalanche hazard on low elevations (below 2500′).
This is the third avalanche fatality on Hatcher Pass this season. Dr. Liam Walsh, a backcountry skier, went missing on the pass in November and is now presumed killed by an avalanche. Dashiell Erickson, a snowmachiner, died in an avalanche in early January near Craggy Creek. RIP.
Our deepest condolences go out to the friends and families.
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Visit the Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center for photos and more information about this tragedy:
JAN 16 2016 AVY ACCIDENT from HPAC on Vimeo.
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We will update this post as more information becomes available.
- Updated on 1/17
- Updated on 1/18
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Read more about this avalanche fatality on Hatcher Pass from these sources:
- Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center
- Alaska Dispatch News
- Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman
- KTUU.com
- HPAC – Avalanche Report
