A 54-year-old man died in an avalanche on Tuesday, December 31, the second avalanche-related fatality in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains in three days after one other snowboarder was discovered lifeless in Millcreek Canyon close to Salt Lake Metropolis. The incident occurred within the Davenport Hill space north of the ridge separating Huge and Little Cottonwood Canyon, east of Salt Lake Metropolis.
The person, a solo splitboarder named Reed Heil, was buried 20 toes deep when rescuers finally dug him out. A burial of this depth, even with rescuers instantly current, is sort of at all times deadly. In Heil’s case, he was alone, which additional diminished his probability of surviving the burial.
The Utah Avalanche Heart has launched a full accident report detailing the the entire occasions resulting in Heil’s burial together with key takeaways. Studies like these are created from entities just like the Utah Avalanche Heart as a way to make clear tragedies and educate the general public as a way to keep away from related future avalanche accidents. The total report is connected under.
Accident and Rescue Abstract
Someday on the morning of December 31, 2024, a solo splitboarder named Reed Heil dropped into north-facing Davenport Hill, within the Silver Fork Drainage of Huge Cottonwood Canyon. He was quickly caught, carried, and buried twenty toes deep within the avalanche and sadly didn’t survive. One other celebration snowboarding the terrain to the south in Little Cottonwood Canyon seen a single observe into contemporary avalanche particles and referred to as Alta Central.
This single observe dropped off the north aspect of the ridge into higher Silver Fork, on the rider’s proper aspect of Davenport Hill. The reporting celebration couldn’t see the place the observe exited however did see the observe coated over by avalanche particles a pair hundred toes under the ridge.
At roughly 12:00 PM, a witness reported the incident to Alta Central, initiating a coordinated response from search groups, together with AirMed, DPS, the Utah Division of Transportation, Salt Lake Search and Rescue, Wasatch Backcountry Rescue, Alta Ski Space, and the Utah Avalanche Heart. By early afternoon, search groups opted to make use of a long-range receiver already within the air following restoration operations from a close by fatality in Porter Fork. The receiver detected a faint sign, main Wasatch Backcountry Rescue to survey the world and assess the terrain from the air. Their observations revealed a definite observe getting into the avalanche particles with none signal of exit, mixed with the sign, strongly suggesting human involvement.
Resulting from unstable circumstances within the surrounding avalanche terrain and the heightened threat of secondary slides, groups decided that preliminary avalanche mitigation could be required earlier than safely deploying rescuers.
Rescue Abstract
Explosive management groups from UDOT working with DPS carried out avalanche mitigation and introduced down a number of extra giant avalanches that subsequently allowed rescuers to entry the location.
Helicopters dropped off two groups (4 individuals) on the toe of the particles with an avalanche rescue canine named OC, and one group (two individuals) was dropped off increased on the particles pile to start a transceiver search there to the toe of the particles. The secondary avalanches that had been triggered with explosives almost definitely put extra particles over the burial website. This was an inevitable a part of the rescue course of to stop additional hurt to the search groups.
The groups converged on a location on the uphill aspect of a gully function close to the toe (backside) of the avalanche, the place they detected a transceiver sign. The bottom sign they obtained indicated a depth of 20 toes (6 meters), which was too deep to acquire a probe strike initially. Digging started at 3:30 PM (1530 h), with the transceiver nonetheless displaying a depth of 6 meters. By 3:55 PM (1555 h), they achieved a probe strike at a depth of 9 toes (2.8 meters).
At this level, one other group (three individuals) skied down from the ridge, carried out a secondary transceiver search of the particles, rejoined the preliminary celebration, and started helping with the excavation. By 4:50 PM (1650 h), the sufferer was totally excavated and extracted from the outlet. The group instantly initiated chest compressions earlier than transferring the affected person to an AirMed helicopter, which transported them off-site.
The rescue groups discovered the person utilizing an avalanche transceiver; he was buried roughly 20 toes down from the snow floor. The sufferer was buried in a terrain lure and was pushed up a south-facing gully function. There was roughly 3 toes (1m) of snow under his burial location.
Terrain Abstract
This avalanche occurred on a north-facing slope in higher Silver Fork. The crown face was between 9,800 and 9,900 toes and roughly 400 toes huge. The toe of the particles was roughly 9,500 toes in elevation, and slope angles ranged from 35 levels to nicely over 40 levels in steepness. The sufferer skied off the ridge right into a run referred to as Straightforward Does It and beneath a run referred to as Over Straightforward. The first avalanche concerned the Over Straightforward avalanche path. The secondary avalanches included the rest of Over Straightforward, and the steeper terrain of Straightforward Does It.
Beneath is an summary of the slide paths and particles. The purple shapes depict the preliminary avalanche, whereas the blue shapes depict the secondary, explosive-triggered avalanches and particles.
Climate Circumstances and Historical past
The storm system introduced coastal-like circumstances to the area, characterised by extended precipitation, heavy snow, and powerful winds. On 12/27, the climate began with mild to average snowfall and average winds, however circumstances rapidly deteriorated because the system intensified on 12/28 and 12/29. Winds had been notably excessive throughout this time, with gusts reaching as much as 100 mph on the very best ridgelines.
Snowfall was constant and heavy, with snow densities rising as temperatures warmed on 12/28 and 12/29, elevating the potential for moist, free avalanches at decrease elevations. By 12/30, the storm started to weaken and shift eastward, bringing a lower in snow depth and wind gusts, although winds did stay sturdy at increased elevations on 12/30. On 12/31, circumstances started to clear, permitting the snow to settle and temperatures to drop. The inversion settled in, forsaking chilly, clear circumstances within the mountains.
Temperature Information
Temperature run and common air temperature from Solitude Honeycomb Peak (10,488’) from December twenty seventh by December thirty first.
Snow Information
Snow and water totals for the storm cycle from December twenty third by December thirty first as measured on the Alta Guard Snow Research Plot situated in Little Cottonwood Canyon roughly 1 mile to the southeast of the location of this avalanche.
Wind Information
Wind Rose and common speeds from Solitude Honeycomb Peak (10,488’), which is roughly ¼ mile to the east of the location of this avalanche. The graphs present wind route, distribution, and speeds from December twenty seventh by December thirty first.
Snow Profile Feedback
The realm confirmed a major affect from extra avalanche management work carried out previous to rescue and restoration efforts.
The crown was at 9,852 toes on a north-facing side instantly under a cliff band. The place we dug the pit, the slope was very steep, various from 36 to 41 levels, and the snowpack was usually shallow in comparison with different areas on the slope. On the crown, there have been very small new precipitation particles on the snow floor, however the crown remained usually contemporary. A bit of latest snow had blown in and round. The realm was damaged and jagged from each the character of the avalanche and the extra avalanche management work. Because of this, the crown profile lacked a downhill aspect, and efforts had been centered on cleansing up the crown wall whereas making an attempt to collect data on each the slab and the situation of the preliminary avalanche failure inside the snowpack.
The slab was composed of 1F to 1F- precipitation and wind-broken precipitation particles inside the higher 25 cm of the snowpack. This sat on a layer of weak, faceted snow. The weak, faceted snow made up the underside of the snowpack, initially 4F hardness, right down to F hardness close to the bottom. The first failure layer was about 20 cm above the bottom, resting on well-developed 2-3 mm sides. The avalanche stepped right down to the bottom in shallow areas or locations with seen rocks.
Throughout the mattress floor, we discovered giant, well-developed sides, some as much as 4-5 mm, with striations, although there was no apparent cupped depth hoar. This emphasizes how in depth and related the weak layer is all through the world, which was a key issue within the avalanche accident. The terrain was unforgiving, with a notable terrain-trap gully that concentrated many of the particles.
Snowprofile from the crown at 9852’ under.
Beneath is the annotated crown part at 9,852’ on a North Facet instantly under a cliff band in a shallow space
Beneath is the crown line at 9,850 toes on a north-facing side, wanting west.
Determination Making
Because the avalanche sufferer was touring solo, there are unanswered questions and we have no idea something concerning the decision-making course of previous to this accident. We do know that the avalanche hazard for this location was rated as HIGH in Salt Lake for this side and elevation, that an avalanche warning was in impact, and that the avalanche hazard had been excessive for the 5 days previous to this accident with the first avalanche concern within the forecasts being the buried persistent weak layer of snow. As of December thirty first, 41 avalanches had been reported to the Utah Avalanche Heart within the Salt Lake Space Mountains since December 27, 2024.
On the Utah Avalanche Heart, we attempt to be taught from each avalanche incident and share insights to assist others keep away from related accidents. We have now all skilled shut calls and perceive how simply errors can occur. Our objective with this report is to supply a beneficial studying alternative. With that in thoughts, we provide the next feedback.
As a result of this avalanche sufferer was touring alone, earlier than and in the course of the time of the avalanche, many questions stay unanswered. We’re unsure if the sufferer triggered the avalanche after they entered the Over Straightforward Gully function or in the event that they triggered it decrease on the slope. There’s a probability it might have additionally been a pure incidence. Nevertheless, this avalanche is assumed to be human-triggered. Given the character of solo journey and the truth that nobody witnessed the avalanche being triggered, we can’t rule out the potential for a pure avalanche occurring. What’s attention-grabbing is that they didn’t set off the Straightforward Does It run, and we do know that the avalanche occurred as soon as they entered the Over Straightforward gully function. We’re grateful to close by events that adopted backcountry response procedures to permit for rescuers to facilitate a fast response.
We goal to be taught from accidents like this and by no means intend to level fingers at victims. Thanks to all of the members of the neighborhood who participated on this rescue and offered closure to this particular person’s household and pals.
Our heartfelt condolences exit to Reed’s household, pals and all these in the neighborhood affected by his loss.
Hyperlink to UAC area day simply after the accident HERE.
Hyperlink to UAC area day and snowpits within the weeks main as much as the accident HERE.
Bigger overview of location of Davenport Hill (picture under)
