Skier rescued from avalanche near Crystal Mountain
CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, Wash. -- A skier who went beyond the avalanche safety zones at Crystal Mountain ski resort was rescued Sunday evening after being partially buried in an avalanche.
An official with the Crystal Mountain ski patrol said the man, who is in his 50s, went skiing in a chute around 4 p.m., and triggered a slab avalanche that carried him into a tree and buried him in snow up to his chest.
The man was able to free his hand and call the ski patrol with his cell phone. The first members of the ski patrol reached him in 10 minutes, but it took about three hours to free him and get him to the base of the mountain, where he was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. His condition is not known.
The official says the man was skiing about 1/2 mile beyond the avalanche control zone and warned when you leave the marked boundaries, you throw yourself at the wit of nature.
An official with the Crystal Mountain ski patrol said the man, who is in his 50s, went skiing in a chute around 4 p.m., and triggered a slab avalanche that carried him into a tree and buried him in snow up to his chest.
The man was able to free his hand and call the ski patrol with his cell phone. The first members of the ski patrol reached him in 10 minutes, but it took about three hours to free him and get him to the base of the mountain, where he was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. His condition is not known.
The official says the man was skiing about 1/2 mile beyond the avalanche control zone and warned when you leave the marked boundaries, you throw yourself at the wit of nature.