RICH COUNTY, Utah — A snowmobile rider who got caught in an avalanche Monday in the backcountry of northern Utah was found dead.
Officials say 37-year-old Scott Wright from Evanston, Wyoming, was snowmobiling with a friend when he was caught in an avalanche in the Monte Cristo area, east of Huntsville and near the border between Rich and Cache counties.
Wright's friend attempted to locate him but was unsuccessful and called officials for help.
The Rich County Sheriff's Office led the search-and-rescue beginning around 3 p.m. and the victim was located at about 6:20 p.m.
Dave Sparks and his team at Sparks Heavy Rescue assisted with the search.
“This was a difficult one because the slide was really, really big. It was one of the bigger ones I’ve seen. There was slabs of snow that were five feet thick by 12 feet long — just monster slabs of snow,” Sparks said.
He lent the use of his Black Hawk helicopter for the recovery mission. He said the way the avalanche fell made it a difficult process.
“The fact that the whole thing broke and slid down into the trees made it an extremely complicated recovery," he said. "So logistics on this one were very challenging, that’s why the Black Hawk is such a powerful tool for this type of stuff."
“You know the backcountry is very enticing for so many people to go out to, but at the same time, it’s so unpredictable,” he added. "This year it’s terrible snow, some of the worst snow I’ve ever seen."
Experts with the Utah Avalanche Center stress the importance of preparing before you go out into the backcountry.
“That could be a pillow-shaped slope, and then if you’re getting any cracking or collapsing, that’s a telltale sign that the slope is unstable,” said Nikki Champion, an avalanche forecaster for the UAC.
Earlier Monday, another avalanche swept up a snowboarder in Little Cottonwood Canyon. The snowboarder's injuries were minor.