Bodies of 2 backcountry skiers buried by Utah avalanche recovered from mountain, names released

SANDY, Utah (AP) — Search crews on Friday recovered the bodies of two backcountry skiers who were swept away and buried by an avalanche in the mountains outside Salt Lake City a day earlier, officials said.

The men — 23-year-old Andrew Cameron of Utah and 32-year-old Austin Mallet of Montana — were killed in the snowslide Thursday morning in the area of Lone Peak in the Wasatch Range southeast of the city. Officials declined to release their hometowns.

Search teams uncovered the men's bodies Friday morning, Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said. The bodies were brought off the mountain via helicopter and taken to the medical examiner's office, Sgt. Aymee Race with the Unified Police Salt Lake City said.

Storms on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday brought up to 3 feet (1 meter) of heavy, wet snow and strong winds to the area.

“And that instantly ramped up the avalanche danger,” said Craig Gordon, an avalanche forecaster with the U.S. Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center.

“The other factor that complicated weather and snow conditions is that it’s spring and weather patterns and weather systems can change very quickly in the mountains,” he said. A day could start off sunny and clear before giving way to clouds or snow or strong winds.

“And all of these factors can influence the dynamic nature of the snowpack and can escalate the avalanche danger," Gordon said Friday.

The three men were climbing up a ridge on a slope called Big Willow Aprons and were near the top when the slide was unintentionally triggered, the avalanche center said in its preliminary report.

The first climber was carried downhill on the right side of the ridge and partially buried. He was able to dig himself out, call for help and was rescued by midday Thursday. Race said they would not be releasing his name.

Cameron and Mallet were swept away on the left side of the ridge and buried, the center said. Weather and snow conditions prevented their recovery on Thursday.

“We know that’s hard on the families when you have to leave somebody up there,” said Alan Bergstrom, one of eight rescuers who recovered the bodies.

Family members of the two victims were at the search staging area near Sandy on Thursday and Friday, Rivera said.

“There are situations such as today where we may know the people that are on the mountain," making the recovery effort difficult for searchers as well, said Bergstrom, a squad leader with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue team.

Crews "were able to dig pretty quickly and get ’em out and get back on the helicopters,” Bergstrom said. “But as we were finishing up, the winds were picking up and the helicopter was starting to have a little bit of trouble judging the landing spot.”

The three men, who were friends, didn't plan to ski down the face where the avalanche occurred, but they planned to ski in several other locations on Thursday, Gordon said.

The snow broke about 2 feet (61 centimeters) deep and 250 feet (76 meter) across and slid down about 500 feet (152 meters), the avalanche center said.

The area where the avalanche occurred, Lone Peak, is one of the highest peaks in the Wasatch Range towering over Utah’s capital city. Its steep, rugged terrain makes it a popular destination for advanced backcountry skiers, while experienced climbers scale its sheer granite walls in the warmer months.

“This is very serious terrain. It’s steep. It’s north-facing. The crew that was up there would have to be experienced,” Gordon said Thursday.

Rivera confirmed the men were experienced skiers.

The fatalities bring this winter’s tally of avalanche deaths in the U.S. to 15, according to the Utah Avalanche Information Center. An average of 30 people die in avalanches each year in the U.S.

Hanson reported from Helena, Montana.

In this image provided by Wasatch Backcountry Rescue and taken from a helicopter shows an avalanche that broke away on either side of a ridge on a slope called Big Willow Aprons in the Wasatch Mountains southwest of Salt Lake City, Thursday, May 9, 2024. Three men were climbing up the ridge when the slide was triggered accidentally. One man was partially buried and was rescued. Two men were killed. Their bodies were recovered early Friday, May 10. (Greg Miller/Wasatch Backcountry Rescue via AP)

Recovery efforts continue as a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter lands in a staging area Friday, May 10, 2024, in Sandy, Utah. Two backcountry skiers were killed and one was rescued after an avalanche Thursday, May 9, 2024, in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter carries recovery crews from a staging area, Friday, May 10, 2024, in Sandy, Utah. Two backcountry skiers were killed and one was rescued after an avalanche Thursday, May 9, 2024, in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Recovery teams look on as a helicopter lands in a staging area while recovery efforts continue for two skiers who died in backcountry avalanche Friday, May 10, 2024, in Sandy, Utah. Two backcountry skiers were killed and one was rescued after an avalanche on Thursday, in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

The Wasatch Mountains are seen from a recovery staging area Friday, May 10, 2024, in Sandy, Utah. Two backcountry skiers were killed and one was rescued after an avalanche Thursday, May 9, 2024, in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter carries recovery crews from a staging area Friday, May 10, 2024, in Sandy, Utah. Two backcountry skiers were killed and one was rescued after an avalanche Thursday, in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Recovery teams look on as a helicopter lands in a staging area while recovery efforts continue for two skiers who died in backcountry avalanche Friday, May 10, 2024, in Sandy, Utah. Two backcountry skiers were killed and one was rescued after an avalanche Thursday, in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Fast-moving storms with strong winds, large hail and apparent tornadoes swept Oklahoma and Kansas, blowing roofs off homes and blocking roads with toppled trees and downed power lines. Meanwhile, Houston made progress in recovering from last week's deadly storms.

Nearly 20 homes were damaged in western Oklahoma's Custer County, with two people injured in Butler, state emergency officials said late Sunday. Damage to a nursing home was reported in the town of Hydro.

Wind gusts well over 60 mph (about 100 kph) were reported in many areas as the storms, which began Sunday afternoon and lasted through the night, moved eastward. In central Kansas, a 100 mph (160 kph) wind gust was reported at the airport in Salina, the National Weather Service said.

Jacob Schwein, of Russell, Kansas, told television station KAKE that he spotted a funnel cloud from a storm that damaged his home and ripped apart a garage where he kept his race car, trophies and an array of tools.

“When I left work, I seen it,” Schwein said. “I seen it come down right over there on the on the next road.”

Overturned semitrailers were reported in Newton and Sedgwick counties, the office said.

“Due to the damage and debris please do not go out unless absolutely necessary!” the city of Halstead posted online.

The weather service said it received 13 tornado reports Sunday from Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado.

Schools were canceled Monday in several communities that were cleaning up. More storms were forecast for later in the day. The National Weather Service warned of an enhanced risk of severe storms late Monday night into early Tuesday in parts of Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska. Thoe storms could produce large hail, gusts of up to 75 mph (121 kph) and some tornadoes.

Parts of Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota could also see some flooding with heavy rain swelling rivers and creeks, the weather service said.

Houston-area residents affected by deadly storms last week received some good news as officials said power was restored Sunday to a majority of the hundreds of thousands who had been left in the dark and without air conditioning during hot and humid weather.

Thursday’s storms left at least seven dead and brought much of Houston to a standstill. Thunderstorms and hurricane-force winds tore through the city of over 2 million, reducing businesses and other structures to debris, uprooting trees and shattering glass in downtown skyscrapers.

More than 225,000 homes and businesses in Texas remained without electricity Monday, mostly in the Houston area. More than 1,800 customers remained without power in Louisiana, which also was hit by strong winds and a suspected tornado.

In one Houston-area neighborhood, many residents without power picked up food, water and ice at a distribution site set up at a Boys & Girls Club. City and county buses were used as temporary cooling centers.

“I’m a mother of three girls … My house does not have electricity and I know what you are all suffering and we are here to help you,” Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones said in a video posted on the social platform X.

The weather service said Houston-area residents should expect “sunny, hot and increasingly humid days." Highs of about 90 degrees (32 Celsius) were expected this week, with heat indexes likely approaching 102 degrees (39 Celsius) by midweek.

A restoration crew works in a home while cleaning up storm damage on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Cypress, Texas. The suburban Houston area of Bridgeland suffered major damage last week after a line of powerful storms, that included a confirmed tornado, swept through the area. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

People walk through a Bridgeland neighborhood as families begin cleaning up storm damage on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Cypress. The suburban Houston area of Bridgeland suffered major damage last week after a line of powerful storms, that included a confirmed tornado, swept through the area. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Volunteers with Houston Independent School District and the Houston Food Bank work through the heat to give away food to people in the aftermath of a destructive storm Saturday, May 18, 2024, at Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center in Houston. Many Houstonians are still without power as temperatures climb. Staff and volunteers with Houston Independent School District and the Houston Food Bank worked in the heat to help residents around the school. (Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Margaret Cantu waits in the heat to get food and water from volunteers Saturday, May 18, 2024, at Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center in Houston. "I'm trying to forget the storm, it really scares me," she said. Cantu, 68, lives with her 70-year-old husband. She said they don't have power. (Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A man carries his propane tank after getting it filled up at 2650 Tidwell Road on Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Houston, after a strong thunderstorm moved through Thursday evening. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A runner passes a chopped up tree on the trail at Memorial Park on Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Houston, after a strong thunderstorm moved through Thursday evening. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Andrew Hallard, a mechanic with Harris County Precinct 4, works through the heat to distribute food and water in the aftermath of a destructive storm Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Richard and Meg Weekley Community Center in Cypress. Texas. (Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A man carries water on his shoulder as volunteers at the Memorial Assistance Ministries distributed water and ice, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Houston. As of Saturday afternoon, 486,000 people in the Houston area remained without power after a Thursday's thunderstorms killed at least seven people. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Charlie Reyes reads in cooling center Saturday, May 18, 2024, at Tracy Gee Community Center in Houston. "I was at a loss, I didn't know what to do other than go hide," he said of the storm. "Since then it's been trying to keep myself OK." He said he was at the center to charge his devices. "My poor car can only charge so much." (Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Volunteers prepare boxes of dry foods and fresh fruit to distribute as cars wrap around Houston Community College Eastside Campus Sunday May 19, 2024 to pick up dry foods, water, ice, milk and baby supplies following severe storms that passed through the area Thursday. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Daniel Valdez places a fresh bag of ice in a cooler his brought on foot from his apartment as volunteers at the Memorial Assistance Ministries distributed water and ice, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Houston. As of Saturday afternoon, 486,000 people in the Houston area remained without power after a Thursday's thunderstorms killed at least seven people. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A truck is covered in debris as a families in Bridgeland begin to recover from and clean up storm damage on Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Cypress, Texas. The suburban Houston area of Bridgeland suffered major damage last week after a line of powerful storms, that included a confirmed tornado, swept through the area. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A truck is covered in debris as families in Bridgeland begin to clean up storm damage, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Cypress, Texas. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A woman named Olga, who declined to give her last name, walks around her heavily damaged home as her family begins cleaning up storm damage, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Cypress, Texas. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

People walk through a Bridgeland neighborhood as families begin cleaning up storm damage, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Cypress, Texas. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)