Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Two skiers died and five were rescued after an avalanche on Idaho's Silver Mountain on Tuesday.
The avalanche late Tuesday morning on Wardner Peak trapped seven skiers. Silver Mountain crews had earlier conducted avalanche control blasting in an effort to make the mountain safer for skiers.
The Shoshone County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday morning that all skiers were accounted for after a search with the help from the Silver Mountain Ski Patrol, Shoshone County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue, and Shoshone County Volunteer Search and Rescue.
"Our deepest condolences go out to all the family and friends affected by this tragic event," the sheriff's department said in a Facebook post.
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One body was found under 10 feet of snow by rescue teams with the aid of probes. The second person was initially transported to the Shoshone Medical Center in Kellogg before physicians pronounced the skier dead.
The Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center had announced an avalanche warning Tuesday morning for the Silver Valley area because of the rapidly growing load of new snow and wind.
In the search after the avalanche, rescuers found the first skier who was partially buried and freed. She was then able to assist rescuers in finding where the other skiers may have been buried.
It took 45 minutes for crews to find the second skier trapped in 10 to 12 feet of snow and then a third one shortly afterward. Rescuers tried to resuscitate the fourth skier found in the snow but he died at the scene.
Two other skiers were found alive farther down the mountain. The last skier was found hours after the accident and hospitalized before being declared dead.
