SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah — One person was killed and another injured in an avalanche they triggered in Big Cottonwood Canyon on Saturday, continuing what has been a deadly and dangerous week on the Utah ski slopes.
The men were in the Butler Basin area near the Donut Falls trailhead when the avalanche occurred at approximately 10 a.m. After the men were buried, another group got them out of the slide and called for medical help.
Both men were transported to the hospital. A 57-year-old man listed in critical condition later died at the hospital, while a 48-year-old man is currently in serious condition.
A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter could be seen landing in the area of the avalanche, stopping traffic both up and down the canyon. A LifeFlight medical helicopter also landed at the trailhead lot.
The incident comes days after two people were killed in separate avalanches in northern Utah this week. A father snowmobiling with his son was killed after being buried in an avalanche in Wasatch County on Wednesday.
On Thursday, an 11-year-old girl died after she was caught in a slide near the Brighton Resort while backcountry skiing with her family.
Skiers warned to stay away from backcountry this weekend after fatal avalanches:
Officials have warned skiers for days about the particularly dangerous avalanche conditions they'll face this weekend in the backcountry due to the fresh snow that has fallen over the last several days.
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