Three Girdwood Heliskiers Trapped 40 To 100 Feet Under The Snow In Avalanche

Wildlife Troopers Can't Recover Bodies 

March 4th, 2025 

Location: Girdwood

Type: Avalanche / Search and Rescue

Dispatch Text:

On March 4, 2025, at 5:10 pm, the Alaska Wildlife Troopers were notified of an avalanche near the West Fork of 20 Mile River near Girdwood. A preliminary investigation determined three adult heliskiers were caught in a large avalanche around 3:30 pm. 

Guides from the commercial heliskiing operation that the group was with immediately attempted to locate the three skiers. Using avalanche beacons, the guides identified a probable area where skiers were buried between 40 feet and nearly 100 feet deep. 

The guides were unable to recover the three skiers due to the depth. Due to considerable avalanche risk in this area and limited daylight, no further recovery operations were conducted on March 4th. On March 5th, Troopers plan to assess the area to determine if recovery operations can safely be conducted.

Posted on 3/5/2025 8:27:01 AM by DPS\ajmcdaniel