A woman skiing in Wyoming was caught by an avalanche in Grand Teton National Park, which carried her over 1,500 feet, or just shy of the height of the Willis Tower in Chicago, according to rangers.
Grand Teton National Park Rangers requested helicopter assistance from the Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) on Sunday afternoon, after receiving reports that a skier was injured on Prospectors Mountain inside the park.
Officials from the park said the skier, a 29-year-old local woman, was skiing with four men near the top of Banana Couloir at 10,800 feet when they triggered an avalanche, which swept them up.
Three of the men in the group were able to stop themselves from sliding while the other man was carried down about 500 feet.
AVALANCHE KILLS COLORADO DOCTOR SNOWBOARDING IN BACKCOUNTRY IN STATE’S FIRST DEATH OF SEASON
A skier on Prospectors Mountain in Grand Teton National Park was airlifted from the mountain after getting caught in an avalanche she and four other skiers triggered on Sunday. (Courtesy Teton County Search and Rescue)
The woman, however, was carried by the rushing snow for about 1,500 feet, which is more than four football fields.
Neither the woman nor the man became fully buried in the snow, though the woman reportedly sustained serious injuries.
A helicopter with a pilot and three rescue volunteers flew up to the Banana, which is a steep gorge on the east face of Prospectors Mountain.
General Views of the Grand Tetons at the Snake River on May 28, 2021 in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Once there, the rescue team was able to reach the woman and lift her off the mountain before flying to an ambulance waiting at Windy Point Turnout.
The other four members of the party were able to ski down the mountain on their own.
The National Park Service said with new snow falling on the Tetons, those seeking to venture into the backcountry should refer to the daily avalanche forecast ahead of time.
