Three skiers are buried in an avalanche in Alaska

Ruby Gallipo, Journalist • March 13, 2025

Check out this article to learn more about Heli-skiing and the dangers of avalanches.

Three skiers are believed to be buried in an avalanche in Anchorage, Alaska on Tuesday afternoon. The dangerous conditions of the backcountry have prevented the recovery operations.

The three missing adults were flown by a helicopter to mountain range for skiing, known as heli-skiing. The Alaska State Troopers said the avalanche or slide happened around 3:30 p.m. local time.

The commercial guides use avalanche beacons which are radio tracking devices that are worn by skiers. They use these beacons to identify the area the skiers were most likely buried, but they were unable to locate them because they are under 40 to 100 feet of snow.

The Alaska Wildlife Troopers were notified of the slide and the three missing skiers at about 5:10 p.m Tuesday. Since they were running out of daylight the recovery team was not able to begin their search. The dangerous avalanche conditions also didn’t help with the recovery efforts.

Heli-skiing is an extreme sport where skiers are transported by helicopter into backcountry areas that are normally hard to get to by foot or vehicle. The remote locations are mainly untouched and the terrain is for highly experienced skiers only. The backcountry areas have not been groomed by ski resorts or commercial companies, which means skiers have to be prepared for obstacles like trees and sudden avalanches.

Each winter, between 25 to 30 people die in avalanches in the US, according to the National Avalanche Center.

For more information go to CNN to read more.

About the Contributor

Ruby Gallipo, Senior Journalist

Favorite Color: Pink Favorite Show: Greys Anatomy Dream Car: Ford Bronco Summer Activities: Hanging out with friends, Shopping, and going on drives Favorite Place to Eat: Chick-fil-a

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Three skiers are buried in an avalanche in Alaska