Alaska State Troopers report multiple backcountry skiers trapped in avalanche near Anchorage

Multiple skiers were reported trapped in the Alaska backcountry after being swept up in an avalanche, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday.The number of skiers and their conditions were not immediately available.The slide happened late Tuesday afternoon near the skiing community of Girdwood, located about 64 kilometres south of Anchorage, Austin McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers, said in a text to The Associated Press.

Multiple skiers were reported trapped in the Alaska backcountry after being swept up in an avalanche, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday.

The number of skiers and their conditions were not immediately available.

The slide happened late Tuesday afternoon near the skiing community of Girdwood, located about 64 kilometres south of Anchorage, Austin McDaniel, a spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers, said in a text to The Associated Press. “Troopers received a report of an avalanche that caught multiple individuals who were heliskiing yesterday afternoon near the west fork of 20 Mile River,” McDaniel said. “The company that they were skiing with attempted to recover the skiers but were unable to due to the depth of the snow.” The size of the avalanche and the depth of the snow was not immediately known.

He said troopers will attempt to reach the site on Wednesday, and may need an aircraft to get to the remote spot well off the Seward Highway.