Avalanche in Utah Traps Snowboarders

An avalanche swept at least five snowboarders down a northern Utah canyon during a heavy snowstorm Friday. Two managed to dig their way out after being buried up to their chests, but authorities held out little hope of finding the other three alive.

Rescue workers called off their search Friday night in Provo Canyon, about 25 miles northeast of Provo, after authorities decided it was too dangerous to continue.

Utah County Sheriff Jim Tracy said the missing snowboarders probably would not survive. “It’s not probable at this time,” he said.

The two Utah County men who survived -- ages 18 and 20 -- were part of a group of five snowboarders. Witnesses reported seeing at least two other parties of skiers in the avalanche area, but that had not been confirmed, Tracy said.

The names of the survivors -- who declined to speak with reporters -- and the missing members of their party were not released. One of the survivors was hospitalized with a leg injury, Tracy said.

A snowshoer reported the avalanche Friday afternoon in the Aspen Grove area of Provo Canyon, north of the Sundance ski resort, said Utah County Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Dennis Harris.

There were three avalanches in succession, Tracy said. The first swept the five snowboarders a half mile down a narrow chute above Aspen Grove.

Snow piled up from 4 to 14 feet at the bottom of the slide, which Tracy said was about three city blocks wide.

The second two slides were smaller, he said.

The avalanche hit near the end of a storm that dumped 29 inches of snow in the Sundance area in 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service.

About 100 emergency workers searched as the weather worsened, but the search was called off when they heard small avalanches above them. Officials closed the Provo Canyon road because of the danger from another avalanche.

Tracy said that, weather permitting, avalanche safety crews would bomb the cornices to release avalanches early today, then determine whether to resume the search.

It appeared the avalanche broke away at the top of the chute, and that none of the skiers or snowboarders appeared to have set off the slide that caught them, Tracy said.