ENUMCLAW, Wash., June 22 (UPI) -- The bodies of three missing Seattle snowboarders have been found in Washington's Crystal Mountain ski area, authorities say.
Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer said melting snow allowed the bodies to be found after a search that began last December when the snowboarders disappeared, The Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune reported Sunday.
Troyer said the bodies were found Saturday by friends of the missing individuals, identified as Kevin Carter, 26, Devlin Williams, 29, and Phillip Hollins, 41.
Searchers have suggested the trio were likely killed by an avalanche at the Washington ski area, but autopsies had yet to be performed.
The News Tribune said the men's disappearance Dec. 1, 2007, came during a period of uncharacteristically high avalanche warnings for the area.
A total of 36 deaths in the 2007-08 season were blamed on avalanches across the United States, the newspaper said.
