3 dead, up to 8 missing in Wash. avalanche

[dipsydoodle]

SEATTLE (AP) – Three people died and as many as eight others are missing after an avalanche near a Washington state ski resort, authorities said.

King County sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West said her office began receiving word about the avalanche near the Stevens Pass ski area just after noon Sunday. Stevens Pass is in the Cascade Mountains northeast of Seattle.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-02-19/dead-washington-avalanche/53156130/1

more on this link : http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hZatobFOK5TyC3yV9qRdxBgfzIYQ?docId=dca4acbfbe8d4a46ab621b1a0dec2d59


just breaking on BBC

ticker says : Three people dead and up to eight missing in avalanche near ski resort in Washington state, US

[Muskypundit]

1. Stevens pass on highway 2. I live about 50 miles from it, I drove past there this friday.

I snowboarded there three times this season. Fuck.

[dixiegrrrrl]

22. I have a good friend who skis up there..now I am worried about her.

If you happen to hear when they release the names...........

[MissB]

2. Another article I was reading states that a van was somehow involved.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Did you maybe misread

"the avalanche struck" ?

[MissB]

6. Nope.

I figured it was just an oddity of the early reporting. The article on the local news site clearly said that a van was somehow involved. I'm sure there wasn't one involved but it sure did make me scratch my head.

[Voice for Peace]

17. the avalanche truck?

[OKNancy]

4. here is another story

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/19/10450796-3-dead-up-to-8-missing-in-washington-avalanche


<snip>
Washington State Patrol Trooper Keith Leary said the snow came down at a road about 2 miles from the resort and about 10 miles from Skykomish.
The Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center on Sunday issued a warning for high avalanche danger for areas above 5,000 feet. The elevation of the avalanche wasn't immediately clear.
Meanwhile, West also says a snowboarder has been killed in a separate incident at the Alpental ski area east of Seattle. The snowboarder went over a cliff Sunday.

[HuckleB]

5. Looks like they were in an "out-of-bounds area." The other eight have been located.

http://today.seattletimes.com/2012/02/two-people-dead-others-missing-in-avalanche-at-stevens-pass/

[bahrbearian]

7. The out of bounds was at Alpental, 1 Snowboarder

Stevens Pass is another pass all together. with 3 Skiers, sad that makes 4 , RIP

[HuckleB]

10. The article indicates the three at Stevens Pass were out of bounds.

Not just the other guy.

[bahrbearian]

14. Two seperate articles RIP

[HuckleB]

19. Nope.

Read the original article, not just the first line.

Sorry, but not cool.

[HuckleB]

11. Confirmation: All four were in out-of-bounds areas.

"All four were in out-of-bounds areas of the resorts."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017551390_avalanche20m.html

[Bigmack]

15. Avalanche Expert

YEARS ago, when I was at the University of Washington, one of my part time jobs was working for one of their avalanche experts. He had saved a TON of clippings about avalanche accidents, and he wanted me to read them and write up brief accounts for a ski patrol guide he was composing. In almost EVERY case of someone who was "lost" in an avalanche, it was because they were "out of bounds" - outside of designated ski areas. VERY SAD, but also largely preventable. Ms Bigmack

[uppityperson]

23. RIP and damn. Got a bunch of snow recently. That's too bad. I've an odd avalanche control story.

Juneau AK, early 80's perhaps. There were shooting mortars at possible avalanche sites, trying to set them off on purpose after blocking the road from traffic. First shot didn't do anything. So they tried a couple more times before they realized no one saw any of them hit. Turns out the cannon thingie was aimed too high and went over the mt into Canada and wiped out some fishing camp that no one was at.

They we taught to aim not only by using the site but by looking through the device directly to rough it out first. Or some such.

[eyewall]

8. What a sad day. They were just out to have some fun,

my heart goes out to them, and family and friends.

[Eugene]

9. AP: All missing in Wash. avalanche accounted for

Source: Associated Press

All missing in Wash. avalanche accounted for

Updated 20m ago

SEATTLE (AP) – All those who were missing after an avalanche Sunday near a popular ski resort in Washington state have been accounted for, and the total number of people killed remains at three, a resort official said.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-02-19/dead-washington-avalanche/53156130/1

[NOI4I]

12. Scary

I hope this is the end of it, w/o any more casualties.

[HuckleB]

13. It all depends.

When it dumps in the Cascades, it dumps, making avalanches likely. If people chose to ski in areas where the avalanche likelihood is high, even when warned, bad things will happen at some point in time. Adrenaline sometimes kills.

[AtheistCrusader]

16. That area just got HAAAAAAMMERED with snow.

Yesterday was nuts.

[HuckleB]

20. Yeah, but nothing unusual for the Cascades.

Truly experienced skiers should not have been going to "out of bounds" areas.

It's sad, but it should not have happened.

[slutticus]

21. It's easy to judge these guys...

...That was my first instinct. But I've done that too (walked right past an "avalanche warning proceed at your own risk" sign at whistler). You just don't think straight when you're having fun like that, especially with a large group of friends. You feel invincible for some reason.

What a way to go... RIP.

[HuckleB]

24. Those who know the dangers don't go past those signs.

Just because you've done the same thing does not change the fact that the Darwin Awards have four more nominees to sift through.

[Bigmack]

25. Thanks for your posts

VERY sad, but, alas, you're right. These sorts of things ARE preventable. Folks just should NOT go into "out of bounds" areas regardless of how "expert" they are. That IS where the tragic accidents occur. Ms Bigmack

[grasswire]

18. hmm...a cousin of mine works at that resort

Guess I'll see if he's checked in.