Hand poking out of snow after avalanche leads friends to buried snowmobiler in Utah

An avalanche buried a snowmobiler fully in the snow — except for one hand sticking out from the debris.

The snowmobiler set out Monday, March 7, to ride with four friends near Whitney Reservoir, a body of water in northeast Utah.

The 44-year-old from Morgan was carried away in an avalanche and buried in the snow, the Summit County Sheriff said. The man’s friends began searching for him, deputies said.

“The friends quickly located him because his hand was sticking out of the snow where he was buried,” Lt. Andrew Wright told McClatchy News in an email. “They quickly dug him out and found him unconscious.”

A Life Flight helicopter was sent, but the snowmobiler regained consciousness and was able to walk when rescuers arrived, Wright said.

The man refused medical attention and appeared to be OK, deputies said.

“As we get new, fresh snow, it’s a good reminder to check avalanche conditions, take proper equipment, and avoid avalanche prone areas,” officials said on Facebook.

Deputies did not say what caused the avalanche, but avalanches can happen quickly and catch people by surprise. Avalanches can move between 60 and 80 mph and typically happen on slopes of 30-45 degrees, according to officials.

They can be triggered by a change in the weather or by people recreating on a slope, officials said.

Skiers, snowmobilers and hikers can set off an avalanche when a layer of snow collapses and starts to slide down the slope.

In the U.S., avalanches are most common from December to April, but they can happen at any time if the conditions are right, National Geographic reported.

At least 11 people in the U.S. have died in avalanches this season as of March 9, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 8:37 AM with the headline "Hand poking out of snow after avalanche leads friends to buried snowmobiler in Utah."