MORGAN COUNTY, Utah — An avalanche resulted in two people being injured Tuesday afternoon, and search and rescue crews were able to safely free them and take them to local hospitals for medical care.
The slide occurred around 12:30 p.m. in the Gold Ridge area, located southwest of the town of Morgan.
The avalanche buried a snowcat — a vehicle generally used to transport skiers and snowboarders into backcountry areas — and injured two people. One of them was trapped under the snowcat, according to Morgan County Fire & EMS.
A search and rescue team comprised of several different departments and specialists responded to the area to rescue the individuals.
A medical helicopter was able to land nearby, and the crew reached the patients and administered triage care while the other resources made their way on the ground through five miles of deep snow.
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The two were then airlifted out of the area, after which the individual who was trapped was flown to an area hospital in critical condition with a "significant" leg injury. The other patient was taken by ground ambulance with a head injury, and officials say that person is in stable condition.
"Despite the challenging conditions and the treacherous terrain, personnel worked diligently to ensure that everyone involved was rescued safely," the fire department wrote.
With so much snow over the winter season, it has been a dangerous time for avalanches. On Monday, a snowmobiler was killed after being buried under 22 feet of snow during an avalanche in Utah County.
